How to Know If You’re in the Loop (Even If You’re High Functioning)

How to Know If You’re Stuck in the OCD "Loop"—Even If You’re High Functioning
by Matt Codde

When you’re striving to overcome OCD or anxiety, it’s easy to measure your progress by looking at your symptoms. You might ask yourself, “Am I having intrusive thoughts? Am I anxious or feeling things I don’t want to feel?” These questions become your benchmark for good or bad days. But as I discussed in a recent episode on Restored Minds, this approach can keep you stuck in what I call “the loop”—even if you look high functioning on the outside.

Why Symptom-Based Measurement Keeps You Stuck

Let’s face it. Most people measure recovery by the absence of symptoms. The reality, however, is that focusing on symptoms as your sole progress marker can actually reinforce the OCD mindset. This mindset—based in fear and hyper-vigilance—keeps you spinning in cycles of control, avoidance, checking, and reassurance.

You might find yourself going through periods of spiraling anxiety, followed by stretches where things feel “okay.” During these “good” spells, you might secretly worry about when the next episode will hit. This constant state of alertness is a sign that you’re still in the loop, regardless of how well you appear to function on the outside.

The Mindset Behind the Loop

The mindset that created OCD is the same one that keeps it going. When you’re in the loop, you live with a lens of fear. The world looks potentially dangerous all the time. Even the thought, “What if I fall back into that spiral?” can be enough to keep you stuck. Controlling thoughts and routines become your coping mechanisms, and you measure your value in comparison to those around you.

A common trap is comparing your situation to people who seem “worse off.” You might think, “Well, I’m not like that person. I still have a job, a family—I’m functioning.” But this comparison minimizes your suffering and makes it easier to justify staying stuck.

High Functioning but Still Suffering

Many people with OCD and anxiety are highly functioning. You go to work, support your family, and handle daily responsibilities. Outwardly, you seem “fine.” But inside, compulsions can take up hours of your day, and you never feel truly at ease.

If you pause to reflect, you’ll notice a persistent sense of uneasiness—anxiety, guilt, shame, or fear—that never fully leaves. Perhaps you have bedtime routines you can’t skip or constantly check to make sure you’re okay. You might even fear recovery itself because you can’t imagine life outside of the loop.

Recovery Is More Than Functioning

Recovery isn’t just about being able to function. It’s about living outside the lens of fear and no longer feeling compelled to control every aspect of your life. Once you break free from the loop, you stop anticipating danger at every turn and start trusting yourself and your experiences.

What holds many people back is the fear of change or of facing what has been sacrificed while living in the loop. It’s scary to consider what life could be like without OCD running the show. But true recovery means letting go of fear’s control and moving toward a more peaceful and fulfilling life.

Don’t Settle for High Functioning Suffering

Settling for high functioning within the OCD loop is just that—settling. There is a whole different way of living available to you, one where you’re not simply surviving, but thriving. The first step is recognizing the subtle but persistent suffering that comes from living in constant fear, even if you seem to have it “all together.”

You deserve more than just managing. Seek out recovery, not just symptom control.