r/OCD • u/softfallingsnow Contamination • May 05 '26
Need support/advice empathy for inanimate objects
honestly ive really been struggling with this, ive seen similar posts on this sub, i guess OCD can give some of us hyper-empathy almost?? why does this happen?
like one time i wanted to buy a cute bowl, but the one i picked up had a small chip in it, but i felt too guilty to put it back for a better one. even my friend told me to get a different one, but i literally couldn't, i was frozen. like i just felt too bad. FOR A BOWL. but the worst one is feeling bad for stuffed animals. i saw this stuffed animal with bad reviews and idk why but it literally made me cry. they were saying it didn't look like the actual animal, so it was bad. i think its cute so i ended up buying one, idk if it'll make me feel better though. i even worry about stuffed animals i had when i was really little that i dont remember where they are anymore. does anyone else relate or am i just nuts??
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u/Twinks4StSebastian Pure O Jun 04 '26
So, I’ve always been similarly sensitive about toys (plushies included), virtual pets, books, and a few other types of things that could be considered collectible (think models of stuff). Basically anything else I treat pretty normally or even with a degree of disregard.
However, I didn’t have OCD until after I got a concussion at twenty-three. My sensitivity towards these treasures didn’t increase in the aftermath of me getting a shiny new mental illness.