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Living with OCD for anybody can be deeply distressing and isolating, and the condition often targets what matters most. For mums with OCD that will be your ability to love and care for your child. OCD can twist that natural love to create painful doubts and fears that feel impossible to control. Some common ways OCD can affect mums include, but are not limited to:
- Distressing intrusive thoughts about harming your child, even though these thoughts go completely against your values and intentions.
- Avoiding physical affection or play, such as hugging or cuddling, out of fear that you might somehow hurt or contaminate your child.
- Avoiding nappy changes or bathing, because OCD convinces you that these normal caregiving tasks are inappropriate or dangerous, often linked to irrational fears of being a paedophile.
- Constant reassurance-seeking, repeatedly checking that your child is safe, healthy, or happy, to ease the anxiety caused by intrusive thoughts.
These experiences are common in OCD and can lead to guilt, shame, and exhaustion, but we want mums to remember that OCD is a mental health condition — not a reflection of who you are as a parent.
It’s also important to understand that these thoughts are symptoms of OCD, rather than a reflection of a mother’s true feelings or intentions. With the right support — such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and compassionate understanding — mums with OCD can learn to manage and/or overcome their OCD and regain confidence in their ability to care for their children.
