- Date posted
- 1y ago
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!
This might contain triggering content, but I'm also wondering if others have dealt with this similar thought, and if so, how to deal with it? Overall, I've been doing so well these past few days. I'm able to eat again, which I hadn't been able to do because of how much anxiety I'd been experiencing. I'm spending time around loved ones and not just rotting in my room, and I've been able to wake up without immediately being bombarded by intrusive thoughts. When things first got really bad, I'd wake my mom up every night for reassurance, but I haven't done that in a while either. I'm really proud of myself, but there's still this nagging thought in my mind... While looking through others posts on here, hoping to find advice that'd fit my situation, I ended up making things worse. Someone mentioned how they had a fear that they'd purposely search for illegal content (related to POCD). I panicked, and "what ifs" flooded my thoughts. "What if the intrusive thoughts affect who I am as a person, and I do that?" I'm terrified that I'll search for those things, which I know means I wouldn't do it. But then, another person on here said they'd actually looked for those things, and that freaked me out even more. Does that mean it's possible for that to happen to me? I don't want to do that, but I keep having intrusive thoughts surrounding it. I've been doing so well these past few days. I'm just... stuck. I don't know what to do. I've spoken with other people who have the same fears, but how do I manage this? It's not something I've even thought about before seeing those posts. I've been practicing accepting the uncertainty, but I'm really struggling with this one. I hate this. This morning, I woke up, and the intrusive thoughts were back. It's just disheartening.
**TW for POCD** I’ve spoken about this a few times before. That urge I had to type in “child porn” into google. I talked to my NOCD therapist today about it. She told me the ERP for it was to type it in. She even did it with me. Obviously nothing but news stories, crime statistics, and photos someone would use for a project showed up. I’ve been so petrified of typing that in there. She wants me to do it every two hours and listen to what OCD will say. I typed it in that way, I typed it out full, and I typed it out with an additional word. I clicked and browsed through all the google tabs. I’m okay, but I can’t stop crying. I’m scared to do it again. She said it’s not likely going to get flagged due to people looking that up for research projects and stuff. I’m just afraid repeatedly searching it up will cause some sort of alert. I feel so scared and full of nerves. I guess that’s what the ERP is supposed to do, but it was so scary. So scary :(
I know a few of you saw my posts about my ERP and the googling urges. That didn’t end up going well. My therapist actually decided we needed to halt it for now. The thing is it’s almost like I learned googling is harmless from those few exercises and my brain keeps generating more things to google. Normally I would just spiral and be done but now I can barely hold back from searching for long. I eventually give in. I’m horrified because it feels like I want to find illegal content. I swear on everything I am, I don’t want to find anything even close to it. I’m freaking out because I don’t understand what’s happening. I keep compulsively searching/testing/checking or idk. I keep remembering details and I feel like I need to google again to be sure of something. I feel absolutely insane can someone please help me??? I’m petrified I’m going to get in trouble.
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