Emmily Hovhannisyan, MSW, ACSW, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, discusses online reassurance-seeking, describes how it looks in OCD, and explains the motivation behind the compulsion. 

What is reassurance-seeking in OCD?

Reassurance-seeking is a common compulsion in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). While seeking reassurance within a healthy capacity can help us feel at ease and validated, people with OCD do so excessively to get immediate relief from the distress caused by their obsessions. Unfortunately, the relief is only temporary, and the compulsion reinforces the obsessive-compulsive cycle.

Reassurance-seeking appears across a wide range of OCD subtypes. The following are a few examples of how this behavior could present in OCD:

• Asking others to reassure you that you’re not a bad or immoral person
• Repeatedly asking others if they think you and your romantic partner are a good match
• Checking with a colleague to make sure you didn’t say anything offensive
• Asking family members if they remember you locking the door before leaving home

The instances above are examples of interpersonal reassurance-seeking, which involves gaining certainty or validation from another individual. However, many who struggle with OCD look for reassurance in a different form: online.

What is online reassurance-seeking?

Compulsive reassurance-seeking is often urgent, repetitive, or excessive. Engaging in this behavior online could look like the following:

• Repeatedly asking ChatGPT to provide certainty or validation about specific and personalized situations
• Constantly checking online forums (e.g., subreddits) to see if others have had the same “taboo” thoughts or experiences as you
• Repeatedly watching TikToks or Instagram Reels to get reassurance from other creators and commenters about intrusive thoughts or situations
• Rereading OCD psychoeducation articles to gain certainty that your thoughts are OCD and not true desires
• “Googling” health anxiety fears, also known as Cyberchondria

Compulsions are fear-driven behaviors that stem from a desire to get rid of or avoid uncomfortable feelings or uncertainty. While psychoeducation videos, online forums, and AI chat bots can provide resources and community, it is critical to distinguish support-seeking from compulsive behavior. This is especially important given the rise of recreational AI use. Friars & Flynn (2026) suggest that limitless responses and personalized engagement from AI tools may reinforce the time-consuming, harmful cycle of reassurance-seeking.

Why ChatGPT instead of a friend?

Choosing to seek reassurance online rather than interpersonally could happen for several reasons. In a study on reassurance-seeking in OCD, Parsons & Alden (2022) found that seeking reassurance online often occurs when individuals experience “unacceptable” or “taboo” intrusive themes. In a later study on motivation for online reassurance-seeking, the same group found that using online methods helped bypass feelings of guilt and shame from repeatedly confessing to others. Some also felt that turning to online sources would prevent negative judgment.

What can you do to get better?

Recovering from OCD requires learning to accept uncertainty, tolerate distress, and take risks. Thankfully, treatment for managing OCD exists. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based intervention and the gold standard treatment for OCD. Applying CBT tools with the help of an OCD specialist could help individuals with OCD begin to distinguish between values-driven online searches (e.g., searching for an OCD support group to attend) and fear-driven deep dives. As technology advances, it is critical for clinicians to help OCD clients use digital tools in helpful ways.

If you struggle with online reassurance-seeking or other OCD symptoms, make your next search worth it. Reach out for support from the OCD Center of Los Angeles to connect with a therapist. You are never alone in your journey toward living a more balanced, fulfilling life.

References

Friars, D., & Flynn, G. (2026). Generative AI and reassurance-seeking in OCD. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 43(2), 236–236. https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2025.10138

Leigh, D. (2026, June 16). What is reassurance—and when does it become a problem? NOCD. https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/is-reassurance-seeking-good-or-bad-for-ocd

Parsons, C. A., & Alden, L. E. (2022). Online reassurance-seeking and relationships with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, shame, and fear of self. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 33, Article 100714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2022.100714

Parsons, C. A., Kim, H. J., Singh, S., Lkhagva, T., Wang, J., & Alden, L. E. (2025). Covert or connected: Motivations for online and interpersonal reassurance-seeking in OCD. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 115, Article 103057. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2025.103057

•Emmily Hovhannisyan, MSW, ACSW, is a psychotherapist at the OCD Center of Los Angeles, a private, outpatient clinic specializing in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related anxiety based conditions.  In addition to individual therapy, the center offers nine weekly therapy groups, as well as online therapy, telephone therapy, and intensive outpatient treatment.  To contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles, click here.