Can internet searching be a compulsion?

So, I get a thought and get very anxious and feel I need to understand completely what's going on. I really need to know about what I'm fearing. However, then it gets to the point where I'm just searching for that elusive bit of info online which will satisfy me and put my mind at rest.

My psychiatrist, CPN and psychologist have all told me to stay away from Google. It's not as though I want to frantically research stuff, but I really does feel as though it's of the utmost importance that I find the right info to put my mind at rest. I feel bad, because they tell me just to not do it, but people can even go online with their phones these days. I've been trying to distract myself, but then it comes back to online research.

I'm wondering whether this is some kind of OCD or compulsion. It's not as though I want to spend so much time researching things. Does anyone else have this problem?

Seems like a compulsion, yeah. Often times people will spend hours searching the internet for proof they aren't what they fear. Which often backfires like in the case of HOCD.

Me again!

The answer is yes. From my research, I know that googling is a big OCD compulsion. How do I know this? Because I have googled OCD to death in times of 'maybe I don't have OCD!' panic.

If you're anything like me you'll find a page that reassures you of whatever you fear (in my case, is .... OCD?') and then later you'll start to doubt it again. Because it might be wrong, or maybe you misunderstood it, etc etc. Then you'll be back to googling.

Mine has got slightly better lately because I've already googled so many pages that I rarely find any new information. But I still go over and over it in my mind, which is a harder compulsion to resist.

Thanks kah80 and jdd. Sometimes I have to back to things I've already read to make sure I haven't missed anything.

I have a kind of POCD, but more a fear of becoming one or becoming 'infected' by it from having an intrusive thought such as 'What if I'm acting funny around this kid? Will people think I'm a pedophile?" I don't research anything to do with that as I'm terrified that reading about pedophiles could turn me into one. I can't even watch or read the news. Reading about POCD is OK though, as none of the people who have it are actual pedos. I know my fears are irrational as you can't 'catch' it like an illness, but there are times of doubt when I totally freak out and it all seems very real to me.

However, anything else is fair game for Googling. I must annoy the hell out of my psychiatrist!

Yeah, that makes sense to me. You are scared to read about it in case it turns you into what you fear, hence you are using avoidance, which is another compulsion.

I reread things too. I keep rereading my letter from the psychiatrist to reassure myself that I have OCD. I also have saved on my phone a long list of quotes from people from this and other forums suggesting I have OCD symptoms which I read to reassure myself too.

You got a letter saying you have it? I never did. Only verbal telling me multiple times.

I used to Google so much on how to tell if gay stuff, and anything about the subject, and hocd stuff. Now I mostly just reread hocd stuff and forums but it barely helps these days.

Yes, but I keep worrying she got it wrong.

Yeah, I think there comes a time when you've googled the subject to death and it no longer helps?

I do the same like jdd just with POCD. I read about pedophilia, how to differentiate between POCD and pedophilia, groinal responses etc.
Sometimes it really makes me feel better but then there are times when I read something it causes doubt instead of reassuring me.

Yes I get the same, Tanja. Like last week I was having problems with my parents and thought they caused my OCD so I googled 'can parents cause OCD' and read stuff that said they couldn't, so then I started panicking that it's not really OCD.

I would find that reading anything about pedophilia would set me off and so totally avoid it. I do read a lot of POCD posts and have to admit that they've triggered me at times, when I was looking for reassurance.