When someone struggles with hit-and-run OCD, there is an intense worry about causing harm to others while driving. Remember, OCD is “The Doubt Disease.” People who experience this OCD theme might have obsessive thoughts like:

• What if I hit someone with my car while driving?

• What if that bump I felt wasn’t a pothole, but a person?

• How can I know for sure that I didn’t kill someone?

• If I hit someone and kept driving, did I just flee a crime scene?

The discomfort of uncertainty can be profound and might lead someone to engage in compulsive behaviors like:

• Repeatedly checking the rearview and side view mirrors

• Repeatedly driving back to the place where you felt the bump to check out the scene

• Searching the outside of the car for blood or dents

• Repeatedly inspecting the doors and tires

• Avoiding driving during rain or snow

Remember: OCD will try to convince you that you are the ONLY person in the world going through what you’re going through. But OCD is lying to you. If you’re struggling with OCD you are not alone. If you are ready to start treatment, consider finding a therapist who specializes in Exposure and Response Prevention, which is an evidence-based therapeutic intervention for treating OCD. Visit www.heyjaye.com/faq to learn more about starting therapy.