- Date posted
- 1y
Dr.google
I wish there was a way to block googling medical symptoms- like a setting or something. Some physical boundary to avoid doing it
I wish there was a way to block googling medical symptoms- like a setting or something. Some physical boundary to avoid doing it
I wish too, it's my biggest compulsion, and it always leads me no where.
Have you had any success with journaling? When I get in to spirals like this, I have started writing it out and saying it out loud to myself. Most of the time I can stop it in its tracks because that action of slowing down my thoughts to write it but then also when I say “tickle in my throat” or whatever symptom is reality has time to catch up and I can go “oh yeah…I mowed the lawn today and there was a bunch of pollen kicked up” etc. I agree though, I have had some success with putting time limits on my apps
You have to learn to put your phone down and walk away and do something more fun/productive, which will eventually retire your brain away from compulsions.
I think you can block certain stuff through settings idk tho But I struggle with this Especially with looking up OCD stuff even tho I'm diagnosed I still do. Sometimes and that triggers other OCD thoughts I have intrusive thoughts or harm OCD
During times like these it’s hard but I recommend distracting yourself with something without technology. Going on a walk, reading, watching TV even. Anything to just get your mind off while you put your phone out of reach
Ooh, this is my biggest problem... I absolutely cannot resist sometimes, and I know that it's going to drive me crazy, but the urge is so strong...
i totally get where you're coming from. constantly googling symptoms can be really exhausting and anxiety-inducing, especially when you're already dealing with a lot. it's tough, but you're not alone in feeling this way. 💔 by the way, have you heard about this new AI-powered OCD therapy tool called 'unstuck?' i've been in your shoes, and what really helped me was this free AI OCD therapy tool called "unstuck" ([unstuckmyOCD.com/try](https://unstuckmyOCD.com/try)) that my NOCD therapist recommended. i think it'll be especially helpful for you because it's designed to provide personalized support when you're struggling with compulsions like googling symptoms, guiding you through steps to manage these urges just like an OCD therapist would. i hate when people promote stuff, but i really think it can help you because it's changed my life. lmk if you have Qs or just want to talk more! <3
@LeslieB3 Thanks, I’ll check it out!
@r.m.1 - you're welcome!
It started when I became an adult, and started receiving my mental health diagnosis. I hyper fixated on each and every action I did and how it could be related to my diagnosis’s. It then lead to fixation to my physical health — making appointments and seeing every specialist I can to rule out every possibility. I currently have been suffering with obstructive sleep. I woke up the past few days with severe pain from the lack of sleep whilst believing I was oversleeping. Luckily my fit watch tracks my sleep cycle and it turns out I am not receiving any sleep. I had an extreme panic attack — bursting into tears on the phone with my mom wondering what this case might be. She told me it could be sleep apnea and that a simple sleep study could figure this out. However, knowing my family history I made appointments to every specialist I can to make sure it is nothing serious. The unknown of health can be scary to me. Watching my mother suffer with her physical health chronically since I was a child lead me to be very conscious and aware of how my body is functioning. This morning was one of the worst moments of physical pain. I should just take one step at a time with the sleep doctor instead of taking measures to see every specialist that could pertain with this issue. However, that is very hard to me. I don’t want to ever wake up in the pain I was this morning. Does anyone else suffer with health-related OCD? And if so, how do you find a sense of ease during moments like I expressed?
I started dealing with OCD when I became fixated on health issues, particularly the fear of contracting a life-threatening disease. If I experienced any kind of medical symptom, no matter how small, that even remotely hinted at something potentially fatal, it would drive me crazy, and I couldn’t stop obsessing over it. Then one day, I started having intrusive thoughts about accidentally hitting someone with my car, and I would end up driving in circles to check if I had. Eventually, I found myself overwhelmed by a flood of new obsessive thoughts and compulsions. One day, while I was at the park, a squirrel came near me, and for some reason, I felt like it attacked me. I Googled it and learned that squirrels could carry rabies, which spiraled me into a deep fear of rabies. I became consumed with the thought I received a bite from a squirrel, raccoon, or bat any time I’m in areas that trigger me. It started off only being inside then transferred to even being in my own home. This made me obsess over every physical sensation in my body, compulsively checking to make sure nothing was wrong. One compulsion that I hated the most would to be putting rubbing alcohol on me to make sure that I had no open wounds. Every day feels like I’m walking around in a fog of anxiety, constantly worrying that I won’t even make it to old age. Sometimes, it gets so overwhelming that I just want it all to end. It stresses me so bad at times to where my brain feels like I’ve been studying all day.
Does anyone else struggle with this? I get a sense of dread and then I feel like the need to find the answer. For me it’s about like sexual reproduction or like some other taboo topic. Especially anything reproductive related to children or pets. I feel so awful after researching. I don’t know if the compulsion is to research or to ruminate about my intentions after researching. I have a hard time understanding why this happens I’m assuming it a question of morality? Like “what does this say about me if I wondered this and looked into it?” Does anyone relate to this?
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