Thanks to my OCD, for years as a child I thought I was dying of cancer. I wasn't. For years as a teenager I thought I was a gay, I wasn't. For a year in college I thought I was transgender. I wasn't. And now I'm in my first relationship since a long time... and I doubt that I actually love her. I wish I knew if I do.
I've posted on this forum before about my TOCD, once about my ROCD, and I am doing it once again. Through an online dating app I have met the most beautiful girl that's ever taken an interest in me. I haven't met her in person before but we talk to each other as much as possible over messaging. I love talking to her as she does with me, but every time she tells me she loves me I get so much anxiety about whether I love her back. About a month ago I broke up with her because I told her about my doubts of actually loving her. I broke up with her over Skype and as I saw her cry I really wanted to hug and kiss her. The next day I told her I was convinced I do actually love her and I would want to restart our relationship, and she wanted to as well. However weeks since I'm beginning to feel doubts again.
My biggest gripe for telling her I wasn't sure I loved her the first time was about the fact that I felt no butterflies in my stomach, which is a common and definite sign that you're in love. However, after we broke up and got back together she told me that she didn't feel butterflies in her stomach either because over online its not usual to feel them. Instead of feeling butterflies for me though she said she at least felt something for me, and I thought I felt something for her too. Well weeks later now I'm wondering whether I feel anything for her.
After we broke up I swore I felt at least something for her. When we Skype I can't stop looking at her and she makes me smile. And whenever she's busy I genuinely miss her. The problem however is that I can't imagine us hugging or kissing. (Or at least I don't think I do?) Sometimes she tells me how bad she wants to kiss and hug and I get anxiety every time she tells me this because I don't really think I want to. When we Skype I think I kind of want to hug her (and when we broke up on Skype and I saw her crying I really wanted to hug her) but other then that I think I feel nothing when she tells me that.
She also has anxiety and depression so the last time we broke up she cut her arms so much they looked almost mutilated. I felt like the biggest piece of $#%^ in the world after seeing her cuts. I genuinely believe ROCD is the worst kind of OCD because not only are you suffering but you're making another person suffer in such a way that I believe can only be described as 'emotionally raping.' The pain I inflict on my girlfriend every time I tell her I doubt I love her is agonizing and seeing her suffer makes me cry every time. I constantly compare past relationships to the one I'm in right now to see if I really do love her and nothing comes up conclusive. I just want to know whether I really love her or not. Is it natural to not want to hug/kiss in a long distance relationship with someone you haven't met in real life yet? And if it isn't natural, then what am I supposed to feel for her then? Please help