Please note that this form of OCD is actually a compulsive behavior driven by a particular cognitive distortion. Therefore, although references to this form of OCD have grown on the internet, this is more likely a way of dealing with intrusive thoughts (obsessions). With that being said, Fortune Telling OCD is assuming that you already know the outcome of an experience that has yet to occur. Individuals suffering from this form of OCD play a future situation out in their head to try and help themselves feel better about it now. For the most part when they are doing this, they are playing out catastrophic events that could happen in the future, triggering high levels of anxiety. This subtype of OCD is also associated with constantly having fearful predictions about the future and assuming that you already know exactly what will happen. This can cause them to shut down and not want to go through with a particular event, job, career, relationship, etc. By believing that you already know what will happen during a future event, situation, or scenario, you will feel less like you want to move forward with it. The most common form of compulsive behavior for someone suffering from Fortune Telling OCD is a series of mental compulsions. These can be mentally ruminating (continually thinking or pondering upon the thoughts) about future events that haven’t yet occurred. They can also use mental compulsions to try and figure out exactly how the event will unfold, or feeling the need to know exactly what will happen by playing the situation out in their mind repeatedly. This can entail replaying the event continuously in their mind to try and reduce their anxiety. Complete avoidance of the event is also considered a compulsive behavior because it reinforces the obsession (the fear that something bad might or will happen).
