u/treatmyocd

AI tools have become integrated into our daily lives in countless ways. Their use remains controversial, depending on who you ask and how they’re being used. Within the OCD community, however, a concerning pattern is emerging: AI is increasingly being used as a source of **reassurance,** which can ultimately worsen symptoms.

**Reassurance-seeking has always been a core compulsion in OCD.** AI hasn’t created a new problem for individuals with OCD; it has made an existing one more accessible: Now, reassurance is instant, unlimited, and always available.

### How AI can fuel reassurance-seeking
Unlike asking a friend or therapist, AI can provide **immediate, repeated responses** without hesitation or pushback. This removes the natural limits that might otherwise interrupt the reassurance cycle, making it easier to get stuck in it.

AI is also not trained to understand the nuances of OCD or compulsive reassurance-seeking, so it’s far more likely to provide reassurance in situations where a friend or therapist would notice the pattern and hold back. Many people have tried instructing their AI bots not to provide reassurance, yet because AI can’t fully interpret nuance and is built to respond politely and helpfully, it can inadvertently reinforce compulsions.

### Why reassurance doesn’t work
Compulsions actually fuel the OCD cycle and make anxiety worse. Yet in the moment, they can feel like the “helpful” thing to do. It can seem like if you just get the answer to your question or find out a bit more information, your anxiety will finally settle.

The truth is, seeking reassurance ends up reinforcing the fear. Your OCD only ends up getting stronger. And with AI right there, ready to use and eager to answer your questions, it can feel impossible to resist.

### What to do instead
The important thing is to recognize reassurance-seeking for what it is: **a compulsion**, and to understand how it functions within the OCD cycle by ultimately increasing symptoms.

From there, the goal is to learn to manage compulsions more effectively. This might look like:

• Noticing the urge to ask AI a question and choosing to pause instead of immediately engaging
• Delaying the question
• Sitting with the uncertainty
• Allowing yourself to move on without getting an answer

The focus shifts from trying to feel certain or relieved, to practicing **tolerating discomfort and uncertainty.** You can also experiment with setting boundaries around AI use, such as limiting how often you ask the same question or avoiding using AI during moments of heightened anxiety.

Over time, these small changes and resistance can help weaken the urge to seek reassurance and break the cycle.

### Approach with compassion
It’s important to approach this behavior with compassion. There’s no shame in using AI or finding yourself stuck in compulsive reassurance-seeking—it’s incredibly common. And when it comes to AI, the issue isn’t the tool itself, but how it’s being used within the OCD cycle.

When used intentionally, AI can still be a helpful resource. The goal is to shift from using it for reassurance to using it for support, education, and skill-building.

AI may feel like a quick way to get relief, but that relief will only ever be short-term (and it’ll end up fueling OCD). Real progress toward managing OCD comes from learning to tolerate uncertainty, and continuing to live your life without chasing the “perfect” answer.

-Sophia Koukoulis, LMHC, NOCD Therapist (not an AI bot)

Compulsions are a core part of OCD—they’re literally the “C” in the condition’s name! And you’re likely aware of the more frequently portrayed ones, like excessive cleaning, repeated checking, counting, rearranging things until they feel “just right,” or repeating actions over and over.

But what about the ones that aren’t so obvious? The ones that happen entirely in your mind?

These are called mental compulsions, and it’s important to learn about them because they’re often overlooked, which can lead to an inaccurate diagnosis and improper treatment.

#### What are mental compulsions?
Compulsions in OCD are anything you do to reduce the anxiety caused by an intrusive thought. What’s unique about mental compulsions is that they aren’t visible.

**Some common examples of mental compulsions:** 
- Self-reassurance: Telling yourself everything will be okay or that an intrusive thought is unlikely to come true.
- Mental review: Replaying events in your mind to “figure something out” or check how something happened, usually to reassure yourself.
- Counting: Repeating numbers, words, or steps in your head until it feels “right,” or following a specific rule.
- Praying: Saying a prayer, mantra, or ritualized phrase to counteract an intrusive thought.
- Thought neutralizing: Trying to “replace” an intrusive thought with a “good,” pleasant, or positive thought.
- Mental rehearsal: Running through conversations or situations in your head to “be prepared.”

Remember, whether your compulsions are physical, mental, or both, they’re all equally deserving of proper care and support. 

#### Why mental compulsions can be hard to spot
Though both mental and physical compulsions are common in OCD, physical compulsions can be easier to spot because they tend to have a visual component. You can **see** yourself excessively washing your hands, going back to check locks over and over, or arranging things in a very specific way. Other people can also spot these behaviors, so even if you’re not aware of your physical compulsions, sometimes the support people in your life might help point them out to you.

Mental compulsions, on the other hand, happen internally, so they usually lack that visible component. They can also resemble standard, everyday thinking, which can make them feel automatic, involuntary, or even “normal” at first glance. And since they’re happening internally, it tends to be harder for a loved one to point these behaviors out to you. That’s why working with an OCD specialist can be so helpful—they’ll be trained to identify the subtle compulsions people often miss. 

#### How to manage mental compulsions
Once you’re aware that mental compulsions are at play, you can practice resisting them. Just like with physical compulsions, the goal is to either resist them completely or gradually reduce them until they no longer control your behavior.

For example, if you catch yourself engaging in self-reassurance, you might say, “This is reassurance, and I’m going to sit with the uncertainty instead. I don’t know the outcome of this situation.” Or, for mental review, you could tell yourself, “I want to go back and check if I locked the doors, but I’m not going to dissect this anymore. Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.”

The key is awareness and gently reminding yourself to sit with uncertainty rather than engaging with the intrusive thought. It’s a skill that takes practice to develop, and it’s common to experience ups and downs along the way. But, even if you’ve already performed a mental compulsion, you can always redirect yourself back to tolerating uncertainty.

Over time, this can help retrain your brain to see intrusive thoughts as what they are: just thoughts, not something that needs to be fixed or figured out.

- Sophia Koukoulis, NOCD Therapist, LMHC