OCD and Trauma: Why You Might Feel “Stuck” (and What Helps)
For a long time, I felt like I’d hit a wall with my OCD work.
I was using all the tools — challenging thoughts, doing exposures, learning to sit with uncertainty — but something deeper wasn’t shifting.
It wasn’t until I began exploring my own trauma that things started to make sense.
I hadn’t realized how much my past experiences were fueling both the anxiety in my mind and the tension in my body.
If you’ve ever wondered whether your OCD and trauma are connected, there’s a good chance they might be.
Understanding the Connection Between OCD and Trauma
Research shows that up to a third of people with PTSD also meet criteria for OCD and many people with OCD have trauma histories, even if they don’t meet full PTSD criteria.
Sometimes these two conditions show up separately, but other times, they blend together in powerful ways.
When they’re separate:
You might have OCD that focuses on fears unrelated to your trauma — like harm, contamination, or needing things to feel “just right.”
Meanwhile, your trauma may live more in your body from past experiences: nightmares, emotional flashbacks, or avoiding reminders of what happened.Example:
You might wash your hands over and over (OCD), but also tense up or shut down when someone raises their voice (trauma).
They come from different roots, but both are ways your system tries to protect you.When they overlap:
Other times, OCD grabs onto something that actually happened and turns it into fuel for new fears. That’s often called “real event OCD” — when your brain uses a true memory as evidence that you’re a bad person or that something terrible could happen again.Example:
You might think back to a car accident you witnessed and replay it daily, worrying “What if I caused it?” or “What if I hit someone next time?” Even though you logically know you didn’t cause it, OCD turns that trauma into a loop of responsibility and doubt.
Why Healing Can Feel Stuck
If you only treat one, the other can flare up.
OCD can make trauma work feel unsafe — intrusive doubts, mental rituals, or fears of “doing therapy wrong.”
Trauma can make OCD treatment harder — the body interprets exposures as danger, not healing.
This is often why people feel like they’ve “done the work” but keep hitting the same wall. The nervous system and the mind both need space to heal.
What Helps: A More Integrated Approach
When both OCD and trauma are present, integrated treatment tends to be effective.
That might include blending modalities such as:
Prolonged Exposure (PE) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Eye Movement Reprocessing and Desensitization (EMDR) with Inference Based CBT (ICBT).
The goal isn’t to force exposure or re-experience trauma — it’s to rebuild trust: in your body, your perceptions, and the present moment.
You’re Not Too Complicated
If you’re dealing with both OCD and trauma, you’re not broken or “too much.”
Your brain has just learned to survive in more than one way — control and protection.
Now it’s learning that safety doesn’t have to mean constant hyper-vigilance.
Healing is possible, even when it feels tangled.
It starts with slowing down, getting curious, and helping your body and mind finally work with each other instead of against each other.
Want Support Healing OCD and Trauma?
If this resonates with you, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
I offer online therapy and EMDR in New Hampshire, Maine, and Florida, specializing in trauma-informed treatment for OCD, anxiety, and burnout.
You can learn more here:
If you’re outside these states or prefer a coaching approach, I also offer coaching.
Ready to start slowing down and rebuilding self-trust?
Contact me here to schedule a consultation.