Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionSigns and SymptomsTreatmentFAQ
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Signs and Symptoms
Treatment
FAQ
Everyone experiencesobsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)differently. Sometimes symptoms of OCD can include obsessive philosophical ideas and fears about life, the universe, and human existence. This is referred to as existential OCD.
This article discusses the symptoms and treatment for existential OCD.
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What Is Existential OCD?
Existential OCD symptoms occur when repetitive and intrusive thoughts about the purpose of human existence cause symptoms of anxiety, depression, and compulsive behavior.
These thoughts might include:
Someone with existential OCD symptoms might also refuse to tolerate uncertainty about questions that are impossible to answer.
Existential OCD vs. Philosophical Questions
Everyone has philosophical questions about the meaning of life such as “Why are we here?” or “Where do we go when we die?” But with symptoms of existential OCD, these thoughts can turn into obsessions, the unwanted and recurring thoughts, images, or impulses that can interfere with daily life.
Obsessions can drive a person to compulsive rituals, like:
When dwelling on philosophical questions causes symptoms ofdepression,anxiety, and compulsive behavior, a person might be suffering from existential symptoms of OCD.
Signs and Symptoms of Existential OCD
Symptoms of existential OCD might include:
Common Obsessions
Those with existential OCD might obsess over:
Common Compulsions
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that people with OCD might engage in to ease anxiety. At times, these compulsions can interfere with daily life. In the case of existential OCD symptoms, a few examples might include:
What Can Trigger Existential OCD?
There isn’t a single direct cause of existential OCD, however, potential triggers may include:
How Existential OCD Is Treated
Treatment for existential OCD symptoms might include therapy or medication. The following are ways a specialist might approach the disorder.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy (talk therapy) that focuses on thoughts that lead to unhelpful behavior. These thoughts are challenged with the help of a therapist and then replaced with more supportive ideas. CBT also includes learning how to manage emotions and reactions to daily life.
For example, a CBT session might include exercises like role-playing or reviewing larger belief systems a person has and helping determine whether they are helpful.
Exposure and Response Prevention
Exposureand response prevention (ERP) and mindfulness are two CBT techniques advised for existential OCD.
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is atype of therapyin which a person is repeatedly exposed to thoughts and ideas that scare them so that they build tolerance. ERP might include “homework” assignments from a therapist, such as researching existential questions, listening to recordings from the therapist, and watching videos about the topic.
ERP also includes experiencing the emotions and anxieties that thoughts create and learning how to manage them without responding. ERP in someone with existential OCD might mean not asking others for reassurance and, instead, sitting with their doubts about reality, no matter the anxiety it might cause, or letting it pass.
Practicing Mindfulness
Mindfulness can be taught as an adjunctive calming skill (added on as a supplement) but is not necessarily a treatment.
Mindfulness is becoming aware of one’s emotional reactions without judgment. This can lead to accepting passing thoughts and “riding the wave” of emotions that they cause without engaging in compulsive behavior.
Over time, an intrusive thought becomes less critical and easier to manage. With existential OCD symptoms, mindfulness might mean feeling the anxiety or dread of more important life-and-death questions without acting on them or fearing the emotions they cause.
Summary
If you find yourselfruminatingover the more significant questions of existence to the point of depression, anxiety, and disruptions in work and relationships, existential OCD may be the cause. If you can’t find a therapist in your area or don’t have access to therapy, finding online help or a local OCD support group might help you cope.
Frequently Asked Questions
Research suggests OCD can trigger depersonalization, in which a person feels like they are unreal or don’t exist.This might be because people with OCD can experience intense, intrusive thoughts about what might or might not be possible. The constant repetition of these thoughts can cause inferential confusion, which is when you fail to interpret reality correctly and confuse reality with possibility.Learn MoreWhat Is Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder (DPDR)?
Research suggests OCD can trigger depersonalization, in which a person feels like they are unreal or don’t exist.This might be because people with OCD can experience intense, intrusive thoughts about what might or might not be possible. The constant repetition of these thoughts can cause inferential confusion, which is when you fail to interpret reality correctly and confuse reality with possibility.
Learn MoreWhat Is Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder (DPDR)?
Learn MoreWhat Is Thanatophobia?
An existential crisis occurs when a person wonders about the reason for their existence with the question, “Who am I?”This crisis can cause anxiety about life’s purpose, death, and the nature of reality. An existential crisis might encourage fear and panic about identity and the future. The type of existential crisis a person experiences can depend on their age. A teenager might ask themselves who they are, while an adult might be concerned about their life’s meaning and death.Learn MoreWhat causes OCD?
An existential crisis occurs when a person wonders about the reason for their existence with the question, “Who am I?”This crisis can cause anxiety about life’s purpose, death, and the nature of reality. An existential crisis might encourage fear and panic about identity and the future. The type of existential crisis a person experiences can depend on their age. A teenager might ask themselves who they are, while an adult might be concerned about their life’s meaning and death.
Learn MoreWhat causes OCD?
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.International OCD Foundation.To be or not to be, that is the obsession: Existential and philosophical OCD.American Psychological Association.Derealization.Boysan M.Dissociative experiences are associated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms in a non-clinical sample: A latent profile analysis.Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2014;51(3):253-262.International OCD Foundation.To be or not to be, that is the obsession: Existential and philosophical OCD.Fairfax H.Mindfulness and obsessive compulsive disorder; implications for psychological intervention.J Mental Health & Clin Psychology. 2018;2(4):55-63. doi:10.29245/2578-2959/2018/4.1146.Chien WT, Tse MK, Chan HYL, Cheng HY, Chen L.Is mindfulness-based intervention an effective treatment for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. 2022;32:100712. doi:10.1016/j.jocrd.2022.100712American Psychological Association.Death anxiety.Menzies RE, Dar-Nimrod I.Death anxiety and its relationship with obsessive-compulsive disorder.Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 2017;126(4):367-377. doi:10.1037/abn0000263.American Psychological Association.Existential crisis.Andrews, M. (2016).The existential crisis.Behavioral Development Bulletin, 21(1), 104-109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bdb0000014
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.International OCD Foundation.To be or not to be, that is the obsession: Existential and philosophical OCD.American Psychological Association.Derealization.Boysan M.Dissociative experiences are associated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms in a non-clinical sample: A latent profile analysis.Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2014;51(3):253-262.International OCD Foundation.To be or not to be, that is the obsession: Existential and philosophical OCD.Fairfax H.Mindfulness and obsessive compulsive disorder; implications for psychological intervention.J Mental Health & Clin Psychology. 2018;2(4):55-63. doi:10.29245/2578-2959/2018/4.1146.Chien WT, Tse MK, Chan HYL, Cheng HY, Chen L.Is mindfulness-based intervention an effective treatment for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. 2022;32:100712. doi:10.1016/j.jocrd.2022.100712American Psychological Association.Death anxiety.Menzies RE, Dar-Nimrod I.Death anxiety and its relationship with obsessive-compulsive disorder.Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 2017;126(4):367-377. doi:10.1037/abn0000263.American Psychological Association.Existential crisis.Andrews, M. (2016).The existential crisis.Behavioral Development Bulletin, 21(1), 104-109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bdb0000014
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
International OCD Foundation.To be or not to be, that is the obsession: Existential and philosophical OCD.American Psychological Association.Derealization.Boysan M.Dissociative experiences are associated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms in a non-clinical sample: A latent profile analysis.Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2014;51(3):253-262.International OCD Foundation.To be or not to be, that is the obsession: Existential and philosophical OCD.Fairfax H.Mindfulness and obsessive compulsive disorder; implications for psychological intervention.J Mental Health & Clin Psychology. 2018;2(4):55-63. doi:10.29245/2578-2959/2018/4.1146.Chien WT, Tse MK, Chan HYL, Cheng HY, Chen L.Is mindfulness-based intervention an effective treatment for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. 2022;32:100712. doi:10.1016/j.jocrd.2022.100712American Psychological Association.Death anxiety.Menzies RE, Dar-Nimrod I.Death anxiety and its relationship with obsessive-compulsive disorder.Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 2017;126(4):367-377. doi:10.1037/abn0000263.American Psychological Association.Existential crisis.Andrews, M. (2016).The existential crisis.Behavioral Development Bulletin, 21(1), 104-109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bdb0000014
International OCD Foundation.To be or not to be, that is the obsession: Existential and philosophical OCD.
American Psychological Association.Derealization.
Boysan M.Dissociative experiences are associated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms in a non-clinical sample: A latent profile analysis.Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2014;51(3):253-262.
Fairfax H.Mindfulness and obsessive compulsive disorder; implications for psychological intervention.J Mental Health & Clin Psychology. 2018;2(4):55-63. doi:10.29245/2578-2959/2018/4.1146.
Chien WT, Tse MK, Chan HYL, Cheng HY, Chen L.Is mindfulness-based intervention an effective treatment for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. 2022;32:100712. doi:10.1016/j.jocrd.2022.100712
American Psychological Association.Death anxiety.
Menzies RE, Dar-Nimrod I.Death anxiety and its relationship with obsessive-compulsive disorder.Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 2017;126(4):367-377. doi:10.1037/abn0000263.
American Psychological Association.Existential crisis.
Andrews, M. (2016).The existential crisis.Behavioral Development Bulletin, 21(1), 104-109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bdb0000014
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