- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
^ thats just reassurance and makes OCD worse. Dont do that. Its hard but just recognize its your OCD. Tell yourself its just trying to play a game and you’re not going to play today. You’re strong and you’re able to fight this! Hype yourself up, sounds strange but standing in a mirror and telling yourself YOU are in control NOT your OCD puts things into perspective. Youre on vacation! Youre in a happy place and your OCD wants to take that from you, dont let it. ?
- Date posted
- 6y
I’ve had this happen with medical issues, like for example my stomach hurts and I start to think the worst after googling the symptoms. In my case my girlfriend is a medical student and she’s great, so every time I have an ocd induced worry about that she reassures me and explains to me why it’s not possible, that usually calms me. Maybe try to talk to someone who can tell you why you don’t have rabies or something like that? Sorry if I’m not being much help here ?
- Date posted
- 6y
OCD totally sucks, I'm sorry it's getting in the way! This is one of those situations that's not a realistic risk. If the lemur had rabies it would be noticed by the staff and very sick. Since I don't have this specific fear I'm able to realize that but I can totally relate because when it's about something I am afraid of my mind comes up with all these what if scenarios also!! My exposures are mostly about accepting some degree of unlikely risk, not seeking further information, and not compulsively cleaning. So in this situation I think you would say if I was infected with rabies I would have noticeable obvious symptoms and I would deal with it at that time and until then I'm not going to worry or do further rumination and research or checking. Also OCD might try and make every sensation like a slight headache into something greater than it is so try to be aware of this and acknowledge that it's OCD! I hope this helps I can totally understand what you're going through!
- Date posted
- 6y
Anytime!! The part about research to 2 am made me laugh! I've been there! It's great to be able to connect to others and even help process triggers with them, it helps me process also!
- Date posted
- 6y
Thank you both for the responses! Yeah, I’ve definitely been doing a ton of reassurance seeking, and I know that I truly do need to tell myself that I can handle sitting through the unknown and anxiety and not let OCD steal my good time. Thanks so much for the motivation to fight it, it really helps hearing it from someone ❤️
- Date posted
- 6y
Thank you so much for this- it really is helpful to understand how I can best navigate this kind of fear and obsession and how to not fuel it more. And especially the accepting of risk even if it is unlikely, and choosing to move on, not doing research (until 2am, reading actual laws about vaccination of zoo animals....ha!) and not checking is what I really need to do. Thank you for helping me feel validated and not so alone in this!
- Date posted
- 6y
I know sometimes I have to just laugh at some of the things OCD makes me do. I think it helps me put it all into perspective. ? Yeah I love that connecting with others and giving and getting insight definitely helps us all get through it.
- Date posted
- 6y
For sure!! It's definitely nice sometimes to be able to laugh at how ridiculous OCD can be!
Related posts
- Date posted
- 24w
This is my first time posting - I have a fear of throw up and I’ve been told it is cause from my OCD (repetitive thoughts) which makes sense because if someone gets sick it replays over and over again and I can’t get it out of my head. It’s gotten a lot worse in the past maybe two years. I’m always on edge that someone is going to get sick around me. I’ve heard the “best or most common” way to help with this is exposure therapy and OBVIOUSLY I don’t want to do that. Anyone have any tips or anything for this (or maybe have done the exposure therapy)?
- Date posted
- 20w
A few days ago, I posted how proud I am of myself, that I managed to go to the doctor to get a vaccination. Now, two days later, I find myself panicking and ruminating. It was a practice where they also test a lot for HIV and other blood diseases and in my mind, the needle/syringe they used for my vaccination was somehow contaminated with blood from another patient. Maybe by accident but sometimes my mind would make up a scenario where they would do it even on purpose. I was so proud of myself, that I managed to go there on Monday and now I am making up scenarios how I caught HIV by going there - I am feeling guilty because I was „careless“. Any tips for the moment? ❤️
- Date posted
- 19w
I’ve been really struggling with obsessing on the though that I somehow got exposed to rabies without my knowledge. I live in an older home and my mind keeps telling me somehow a bat got in without my knowledge, even though I have no reason to believe so. I also own a cat and I’ve also been struggling with what if he got exposed because of this “bat”.
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