Key points

Existential OCD is an unofficial OCD subtype where obsessions fixate on life, death, reality, and meaning.

Obsessions are intrusive, unwanted thoughts that trigger anxiety and doubt.

The goal isn’t to answer every “why” but to change your relationship to those intrusive thoughts.

Picture this: Life looks fine from the outside. Work is stable, relationships are intact, and nothing “obvious” is wrong. Yet inside, there’s a relentless, private interrogation running on a loop: Why do we exist? Is any of this real? What happens after I die? No matter how much reassurance, reading, or distraction you seek, it never calms for long. Instead of a deep or philosophical feeling, it feels like living in a constant state of panic.

Many patients secretly harbor a fear they find hard

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