# Ptsd has me stuck repeating things that make no sense

**URL:** <https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/ptsd-has-me-stuck-repeating-things-that-make-no-sense/52317>\
**Category:** Obsessive-Compulsive\
**Created:** [October 2, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/ptsd-has-me-stuck-repeating-things-that-make-no-sense/52317 "2026-10-02T15:00:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Robin\_Chang](https://forum.sharedquill.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e495f1/32.png) [@Robin\_Chang](https://forum.sharedquill.org/u/Robin_Chang)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/ptsd-has-me-stuck-repeating-things-that-make-no-sense/52317/1 "2026-10-02T15:00:34Z")

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PTSD has me repeating little things that don’t make sense even to me. One example is checking the front door over and over before bed. I know I locked it, and I can usually see the bolt in place, but a few minutes later I’m back there touching the handle again. Sometimes I restart the whole routine if I get distracted halfway through.

I remember doing this more intensely after a bad incident years ago. I’d check the windows, the stove, and the locks in a certain order, because changing the order made me feel like I’d missed something. The relief only lasted a minute, then the doubt came back. It feels less like a choice and more like my brain is trying to prevent something from happening again.

Has anyone found a way to interrupt these repetitive habits without making the anxiety even worse?

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**Author:** ![Michael\_Ramirez](https://forum.sharedquill.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Michael\_Ramirez](https://forum.sharedquill.org/u/Michael_Ramirez)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 3:02pm UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/ptsd-has-me-stuck-repeating-things-that-make-no-sense/52317/2 "2026-10-02T15:02:32Z")

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Robin, the “restart the whole routine if I get distracted” part sounds exhausting. I used to treat that interruption like proof the check didn’t count, which only made the loop stronger.

One thing that helped was taking a quick photo of the locked door and stove, then setting a firm rule that I could look at the photo once but couldn’t go back to recheck. The anxiety still showed up, especially at first, but I practiced letting it sit there instead of trying to get perfect relief. A therapist can also help tailor this, since pushing too hard can backfire.

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**Author:** ![Michelle\_Walker](https://forum.sharedquill.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Michelle\_Walker](https://forum.sharedquill.org/u/Michelle_Walker)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 3:03pm UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/ptsd-has-me-stuck-repeating-things-that-make-no-sense/52317/3 "2026-10-02T15:03:07Z")

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The photo idea makes sense, especially treating it as a limit instead of another way to check forever. I’ve used a similar rule with my phone and had to accept that feeling unsure doesn’t automatically mean I forgot something.

The hardest part was not going back for “just one more” look. Letting the anxiety fade on its own took longer than I expected, but it did eventually drop.