Woman stopped going out and to the gym as she was 'terrified' of cheating despite being in healthy relationship

Sophia Forrester has revealed why she is ‘terrified’ of cheating on her boyfriend.

The 24-year-old from Leeds is in the ‘only healthy’ relationship she’s ever been in but keeps experiencing negative thoughts.

She was diagnosed with relationship OCD in December 2025 and says previous boyfriends have left her ‘overthinking everything’.

After meeting her current partner in February 2025, she would have thoughts like ‘what if I cheat?’, ‘what if you’re a bad person?’ or ‘do I actually love my boyfriend or am I lying to myself?’

Sophia said her brain would create worst-case scenarios ‘even if I just looked at someone’.

The waitress ended up spending ‘hours’ on ChatGPT to reassure herself and to help take those thoughts out of her mind.

Sophia Forrester, 24, was diagnosed with relationship OCD which left her 'overthinking everything'(SWNS)

“I know deep down I would never cheat, as someone who has been cheated on it’s the worst thing I’ve ever experienced,” she explained.

“My brain is convincing me of these worst case scenarios.

“With OCD it gives you a thought to protect against anything bad happening again.

“Like ‘what if you cheat’ or ‘what if you’re a bad person’.

“Sometimes I’d go on a night out with friends drinking and the next day would be even worse.

“My anxiety would be worse and then I’d be like ‘oh my god did I do anything wrong last night?’ or ‘am I a bad person?’”

Through therapy and medication, Sophia is now in recovery and is sharing her experience to raise awareness about Relationship OCD.

Sophia was diagnosed with relationship OCD in December 2025 (SWNS)

“I would analyse everything – even if I looked at someone I’d think ‘I’ve just cheated on my boyfriend I shouldn’t have looked at that person’. It’s awful,” she said.

“Relationship OCD has been acknowledged as a sub-type of OCD for many years now, it’s just that recently there’s been more awareness about it.

“Now I’m a lot better and I can go out or go to the gym and the thoughts are not as believable anymore.

“When ROCD happens for the first time and you have no idea what it is. It’s the most terrifying experience. I thought I was going insane and losing my mind.”

Sophia says during the time she was single and dating her OCD “latched on” and focused more on her contamination OCD.

Sophia is raising awareness of OCD (SWNS)

“I still wash my hands a lot now and I used to have different towels for different body parts because I was scared I’d get a horrible disease,” she says.

“I feel it’s been a thing for most of my life but it’s only up until now I’ve noticed and acknowledged it."

Sophia first met her current partner in February 2025 and say she ‘knew it was real’, staying up all night chatting with him.

“Honestly at the start I remember cuddling him and thinking ‘it all makes sense now, he feels like the right person for me’,” she says.

“Basically I looked it up and when you get into your first healthy relationship all the trauma from the past resurfaces because it’s a safe time to heal it.

“My boyfriend had done nothing wrong, was nothing but loving to me but I had feelings of trauma and anxiety.

“Actually it was my body trying to heal.”