i've been ghost-reading this forum for a while before making an account. i've suspected for a while that i have POCD, this is not my first experience with this fear.
this morning i woke up uncertain if the first thought on my mind was a vivid dream i had, or a real memory that i was trying to convince myself was false. i woke up completely convinced that i had touched my younger sister inappropriately while changing her diaper and i've been in complete agony all day. i legitimately can't tell if it this was a dream (like thinking you really did get ready for school and then waking up to find you're still in bed), a false memory, or a real event that i'm selfishly trying to absolve myself from.
i really don't know what to do. i spent two hours sitting in bed researching false memory studies and symptoms of pocd, crying and trying to find a real answer. i held out my hands to my sister as a blind test without telling her what i was asking - left hand, real memory, right hand, false memory - and she picked the left hand. i feel completely helpless and scared. i'm 19, i've had these fears and anxieties for the last two or so years of my life. i'm her older sister, i'm supposed to take care of her and protect her. i don't know what's wrong with me. if you have any opinions or thoughts about this, please share.