Real events ocd…

I’m new to this one here. How do I cope with a fear that is truly real? I posted before that my dog had been diagnosed with heartworms (don’t come at me, he lived outside for over a year on a chain before we rescued him.) but ever since then, we’ve obviously begun treatment and I’m not sleeping. My OCD has been triggered by this and im CERTAIN he’s going to die. Even knowing his odds are very good, I’m still so sure he’ll die and I’m obsessing. Not sleeping. Watching him sleep all night…This is triggering old fears that I haven’t had in a very very long time surrounding children. I’ve struggled with infertility for over a year and we are FINALLY beginning treatment. This trigger has me wondering all over again if I even want to be a mom which is crazy because it’s all I’ve truly ever wanted! Also this fear didn’t creep back in until I was triggered by my dogs diagnosis…I guess I’m wondering how I do ERP around events that could genuinely happen. While my dogs odds are good, there still is a chance he could not make it and I need to get ahold of this anxiety before I spiral.

Username: Erin P

Date posted: 45d ago

OCD can be based on a grain of truth. OCD wants us to worry about the possible even of it is very unlikely or even improbable. This does make ERP difficult. But ERP does work for this. I have contamination OCD and used to worry about so many things that could have made me or others sick but were unlikely. With ERP I’m down to one core issue instead of many. So with regard to you dog - you have gotten him the right treatment so changes are really good for his health. You know you have OCD so take the level of worry you have and label it OCD. Then do a worry script - here’s an example ( not about showering though that’s in the title) - https://www.shalanicely.com/fredtalks/shower-scripting/ I hope these ideas help. Do ERP so you ate well prepared for motherhood. I can speak from experience that untreated OCD makes it hard to be as good of a parent as you would be otherwise. Many regrets here but all I can do is be the best mom I am able to be.

User type: NOCD Alumni

Username: Anon.

Date posted: 45d ago

To be honest, a great deal of people's OCD fears are actual possibilities. The point of doing ERP is to learn to embrace the uncertainty surrounding such events. In this case, it sounds like the probability of your dog dying is slightly higher than it was before he had heart worm. It's still possible to embrace the uncertainty surrounding this! Possibly try an uncertainty statement such as, "I'm feeling anxious because my dog could die, I can't be 100% certain that won't happen today or in the future, I accept that uncertainty and am willing to live with it happily." Sit with the uncomfortable feelings produced without compulsions. A therapist could help design more specific ERP exercises to your fears. I highly suggest getting one if you can, it really helped me!

Username: Anonymous

Date posted: 45d ago

I also struggle with death anxiety. Freaked out today because my parents weren’t answering the phone and my mind went to the worst place. I just have to remind myself that death is real, we all face it at some point. Every living thing does. Worrying to the extreme of it effecting your every day is too much. I just think about how this is a fact of life everyone faces, and how most people get a long just fine knowing that death is real. I’m Christian, and it helps to think about how Jesus experienced death too. I am so sorry you are experiencing this. It really is so hard because it’s a real thing, not just a mental thing.