Iโm going on vacation to Vegas in a month. But my OCD thoughts are getting worse & im freaking out that they will ruin my trip. How will i deal with this
Hi! I had a recent vacation that was planned for months and I had the same fear. I wanted to have fun so bad but terrified my OCD was going to ruin it. I ended up doing an exposure where I just wrote out that I was not going to have fun over and over again until I was like whatever who cares maybe I wonโt itโs just a couple days trip anyway. This helped me not put so much pressure on myself and I had the best time! Of course intrusive thoughts popped in here and there but I would just keep pushing with non engagement responses and also used some general CBT skills (breathing in to 4, holding for 2 and breathing out to 6). If you are working with a therapist see what they think and if this practice might help you too! Your life is more important than your thoughts!
I live in vegas it is easy to spend money here tbh but itโs fun especially during halloween and thereโs shows in arts district and fremont is fun too so ya just have fun donโt worry
@Noflowers808! thank you !
They are probably getting worse because you are worrying so much about OCD ruining your trip. Which is getting like a runaway train. If you donโt shut this down it could ruin your trip but I doubt it. Once there you will relax into it. Say to yourself โitโs not real and so itโs not going to ruin my trip. Itโs silly OCD thoughts. Get out of here thoughts Iโm busy.โ Get all the planning and packing done ahead. Then go about the rest of your life like the trip isnโt happening and try not to think about it till the day before. Youโre already planned and packed. Now go and have a great time. If you get overwhelmed youโre not required to do anything you donโt want to. Go to your room and chill till youโre ready for more.
@BeTrue2U i like this a lot ty so much !!!
Okay, i leave for vacation tomorrow with my boyfriend and some of our friends. iโm so nervous about this trip and im really worried that i would hurt someone on this trip. i donโt want to hurt anyone, and im so so worried about it. i donโt even want to go anymore because im so stressed out. iโm not really getting any intrusive thoughts or anything but im still so anxious that im going to do something like stab one of my friends or my boyfriend, or lose my mind. iโm so worried. and then i seen this thing that said โpeople who hurt people do that because they want to and they plan it outโ so now im scared that im subconsciously planning on hurting one of them even though i dont have a plan or anything and i dont want to hurt anyone. AGGHH๐ญ
Iโm wondering if this has happened to anyone elseโฆ Iโm 28 years old. I was diagnosed with OCD when I was very young and it took a while, but I overcame it. I havenโt had any compulsions in 20 years. Iโve had some horrible things happen in the past, but nothing brought back my OCD. The only thing I struggle with is overthinking and making decisions. Im about to take a sabbatical from my work for a year to travel because the last year of my life has been by far the happiest and most confident iv ever been. I went to see a therapist a couple weeks ago who was an OCD specialist, I just wanted some tips and tricks for decision-making while Iโm on my trip. She warned me that my OCD might get worse before it gets better, but I thought that she just meant with decision-making and overthinking. They have this program set out that I didnโt really wanna do but she told me it works really well so I decided to try it. Itโs two sessions a week and the first two sessions were sort of just talking about my old OCD and doing questionnaires. I really related to some of the questionnaire questions, and the therapist was actively telling me that I definitely had OCD the whole time which made me feel bad. After our second session, my OCD came back full swing like when I was a child. I cant stop thinking about doing compulsions every waking second. Itโs been two weeks. Iโve been to her several times and nothing is helping, Iโm resisting the urge to do compulsions as much as I can and I feel like Iโm fighting for my life. Nothing is helping and Iโm burning out. I wake up and cry everyday because of how uncomfortable and out of control I feel. I never thought this would happen and im so mad at myself for ruining my trip. I feel like Iโve ruined my life tbh and even if I do get better, Iโm always gonna be bothered by the constant fear that even at the highest and most happy points in my life it could just come back at any second with no warning signs.. I thought I knew how to deal with it and had the tools, but nothing is working this time and its ruining my life. Today I asked about cancelling my trip altogether, and I might be going on medical leave. Has this happened to anybody and do you have any tips for me?
Iโm having a big OCD relapse and would like to hear anyoneโs tips on how to be present and healthily deal with these intrusive thoughts and the โneedโ to preform compulsions. Thank you!!
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