how to recognize (and break) the cycle of relationship OCD

Do you find yourself constantly questioning your feelings in a relationship, or feel the need to check your partner’s phone to ease your doubts? Maybe you seek reassurance from friends whenever something feels “off.” These patterns can be exhausting and isolating, but they’re more common than you might realize—and they often have deeply rooted origins.In this episode, we’re exploring behaviors commonly labeled as Relationship OCD, or ROCD. But instead of viewing these as disorders, we’ll reframe them as adaptive responses—patterns we developed in past environments where we may have felt insecure or abandoned. These behaviors, while once protective, may now stand in the way of genuine connection and trust.We’ll dive into the roots of these relationship anxieties, tracing how early experiences shape our attachment styles and influence how we love and connect. This episode isn’t about diagnosing yourself; it’s about recognizing shared patterns and finding new ways to relate. I’ll walk you through the ROCD cycle, offering insights from depth psychology to help you understand why these behaviors arise and, most importantly, how to interrupt them.Alongside these insights, you’ll gain practical tools to break free from cycles of doubt, build self-awareness, and create space for trust and intimacy. By tuning in, you’re taking a step toward more secure, fulfilling relationships and moving away from self-sabotage. This is a journey to understanding your emotions and behaviors on a deeper level, with the aim of building relationships rooted in clarity and confidence.Enjoyed this episode? Explore more as a Premium Submarine. Dive deep into hundreds of hours of ad-free exclusive content and full-length episodes on Patreon, including my original BPD recovery series, guided meditations, and much more. Click here to preview the premium collections you’ll unlock access to for as little as a couple of cups of coffee a month. Learn more and join at backfromtheborderline.com.The information contained in this podcast episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment or consultation with a licensed mental health professional. acast+ https://plus.acast.com/s/back-from-the-borderline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Om Podcasten

I don’t want to talk to your personality; I want to talk to your soul. Imagine if your most painful and debilitating mental health symptoms and self-sabotaging behaviors aren’t evidence of 'disorder' or 'dysfunction', but adaptive strategies that once kept you safe. My goal is to help you shift from asking ‘What’s wrong with me?’ to ‘What happened to me?’The word ‘borderline’ in this podcast isn’t about psychiatric labels. It’s about coming back from the inner psychological brink we all experience. Everyone has found themselves on the edge, in that liminal space where the old self falls apart and the new Self emerges. Here, we explore what it means to undergo true emotional alchemy: that ancient and primordial process of falling apart, confronting the underworld of our psyche, and falling back together into someone stronger, wiser, and more whole.Many highly sensitive people who identify with the seemingly never-ending list of diagnostic mental health labels contained within ‘the bible of psychiatry’ (the DSM) share the same underlying sense of being irreparably broken, disconnected from their intuition, and paralyzed by life’s existential questions. I believe the resulting—and perfectly understandable—chronic feelings of emptiness and spiritual starvation are the TRUE causes of our current collective ‘mental health crisis.’ Together, we’ll dive into depth psychology, mythology, human consciousness, critical psychiatry, and the impact of trauma to help you begin the process of emotional alchemy. This exploration will help you get to the root cause of your suffering and free yourself from the toxic shame, limiting beliefs, and mental programming that have kept you locked in the chains of your past.In an era where mental health and spirituality are too often commercialized, I’m not here as a guru with a quick fix to sell you. I don’t believe anyone is ever truly ‘healed’ or ‘cured.’ There is no return to some mythical state of pre-trauma purity, but rather a continuous spiral of unbecoming, unlearning, and transformation. As a fellow seeker, I will be there in your ear, walking alongside you on your path toward wholeness as a sort of parasocial big sister. That, I can promise. By integrating the concepts we explore together, you’ll begin to see that anyone—even you—can come back from the borderline.CRAVING MORE? Visit backfromtheborderline.com to dive into my universe, connect with me, access my Patreon, and discover more about my journey and work. Don’t forget to follow Back from the Borderline so new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays automatically drop into your podcast feed. acast+ https://plus.acast.com/s/back-from-the-borderline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.