- Date posted
- 2y
Fear-marketing is awful!
This will be some sort of a rant about how fear-marketing frustrates me! It triggers my OCD to oblivion. I get scared of everything and stuck with a feeling that the whole world, everything, is very dangerous and I feel paralysed. I cannot even buy a candle or a pillow without freaking out about what if it is toxic? What if that furniture will off-gas? What if it will cause permanent damage to my health! Advertising by using people’s fear by exaggerating the danger is so cruel! Even trying to buy cookware turns into torture. Do not buy nonstick because it is toxic; do not buy stainless steel because still there are dangers; do not buy cast iron because you cannot wash it with soap and detergents, and it might pose other dangers; do not buy wooden utensils, because they soak up detergents if you use them and if you don’t they are not properly cleaned; do not buy silicone because there is this research shows they release some chemicals…. But I have to use something because, well, I have to eat. Also for example baking cakes is (was?) a huge source of enjoyment and relaxation for me but I realised today that slowly I started to be afraid of my cooking utensils, which are actually the standard cooking utensils that you’d probably find in every store and kitchen; but here I am, thinking they can be this nasty poison. I am afraid of putting my loved ones in danger… Or I really liked to do furniture flips, but then i freaked out about the wood materials, painting materials, sanding the wood, stuff needs to be used to treat the piece. So I gave up. I wanted to do a comprehensive renovation to my home, but selecting materials became so exhausting so I put it on hold because I cannot pick. But at the same time, I am also afraid of existing materials because of all the “advertising” I read about the new options. I lost count of things I gave up although I loved them because I was so anxious and scared. I know giving up is a compulsion but alternative is so painful. When it comes to health related obsessions why do I get paralysed and all my ERP attempts fail 😩 I just wish people wouldn’t use fear to advertise! It is also very ironic that I worry about these things yet smoked for years (hopefully, i finally managed to quit this time🤞)🤦♀️ it just doesn’t make sense either. But at the same time my mind tells me: “If you didn’t smoke, then you’d be safer by using all that stuff. Since you do both, they accumulate.” And to be honest, it has a truth to it to some degree and it makes it that more scary because my reaction although is out of proportion, there is actually a reason to be afraid. And I cannot realistically determine the proper amount of reaction I should give. It is so frustrating and confusing. Sorry for the long post. The rant is over.