Struggling with avoidance and anxiety in uncomfortable situations. How to cope?

avoidance

I tend to avoid situations where I feel I could become uncomfortable or anxious, or things can trigger an unwanted thought. Avoidance seems to be the biggest thing I struggle with. Once I get a bad thought about a situation, I want to avoid it as much as possible. my mind runs so many different scenarios of unwanted thoughts happening, which makes me want to avoid the situation altogether. because then I start to feel anxious and panicked and worry “what if something does happen”. It feels like my brain is constantly looking for ways to make me uncomfortable, so it’s easier to avoid situations where I feel like I may feel triggered. I’m not sure how to deal with this. certain situations I can’t avoid. I know I’m going to have to sit through discussions I’ll find uncomfortable. it’s going to ruin my day. And I’ll spend the rest of the day analysing every detail of what happened or how I reacted. im not sure how to combat this.

"Pure" OCD

Username: beverlyladybeverlylady

Date posted: 46w ago

My least favorite part about dealing with this same struggle is that in order to get over this awful feeling, you simply have to suck it up and go through with the task. Ugh. It’s so annoying. Like of course I’m gonna have to do the thing I fear in order to get over the fear. Lame. But I guess if you really think about it, how often is the situation really as awful as you imagined it? I have spent hours ruminating over unwanted scenarios I imagine for the upcoming event I anxiously want to avoid, but there’s only one way the situation will ever play out. And in the past, the scenarios I’ve imagined pretty much never happen. It is so incredibly difficult to step in between the ping pong table of back and forth anxious, obsessive, and avoidant thoughts in your head that cause you to feel like this. It takes bravery to stop yourself and finally say to yourself no! This is not want I truly want! This is not how the situation will play out! And I will face whatever does come! And it takes such mindfulness and practice to even be able to catch yourself in that anxious avoidant thought cycle! But I believe be in you and I believe that you can. The thoughts are trains, coming and going, they pop in and pop out, if you swerve to avoid them, you’ll always get hit! But if you understand that you are the observe, watching the trains (thoughts) go by, you realize that they are not you, they are just thoughts. And that you don’t have to avoid them, you can just watch them go by. Because they’re just thoughts. It is uncomfortable and difficult like I said, but life happens outside of your comfort zone! If this avoidant cycle is comforting, seek discomfort! You can do this!

Username: Mandy2814Mandy2814

Date posted: 46w ago

I’m so sorry this happens to you. I can relate! Deepening my relationship with God and self work at home has been very helpful for me to learn the skills needed to begin changing the way I think . You will be in my prayers this morning. I hope your day goes well.

Username: MushroomStew

Date posted: 1y ago

Avoidance

I was trying to avoid this app and everything OCD related to check if that would make me feel better. I thought that avoidance would make me forget about everything and it worked for a while, but it's gotten bad again. Right now while I write this I feel like I tricking everyone into thinking I'm normal. I'm worried that as I get older, my thoughts and feelings will get worse, and I'll actually be a bad person. My sixteenth birthday is tomorrow, and all I can feel is anxiety. I want to enjoy it, but I know I won't. Does this ever go away?

Username: anon-e-mouse

Date posted: 1y ago

Don't know how to not be avoidant (18+)

I can tell I'm avoiding my triggers. Im isolating myself from my friends, I'm only watching specific shows, I dont want to go outside, I dont want to see anyone. Its gotten to the point where I've asked for no intimacy with my boyfriend. We were getting intimate a few nights ago and I had an intense intrusive thought paste itself to my awareness and nothing I could do would make it stop and I had to ask him for space. My heart started pounding and my breathing got quicker. And now I'm afraid it will happen again. I can't stand the idea that I'd have these thoughts while being intimate with my boyfriend, it makes me feel disgusting and I feel bad that he has to date somene like me. I dont know how to face this. I just want to hide. I want to curl up and sleep for the rest of my life. I feel like its over for me idk

Username: PRIV8

Date posted: 37w ago

Its a really annoying problem that i always get

I couldnt word it before but now i can so i write it down. I always feel like im avoiding and now i know why, because people say dont go there, dont think about the thoughts, just notice it then focus on somethinh else. And for me when i try to not go there i feel like ik avoiding cause the urge of thinking about it is so strong that i have to fight to not go there and it becomes a fight then my mind sees that im having a problem so it gets worse. And then when i try to ignore or shift my attention it becomes an avoidance like its just too much power on trying to not focus on it. Also i start to say i dont want to think about this cause i know its ocd and ita bad for me but it gets worse and worse and then i feel like nothing helps cause i still avoid even if i try to do what i should do... any advice?

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Struggling with avoidance and anxiety in uncomfortable situations. How to cope?

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