I saw a post saying that thinking about something for a while will bring it to you. Now I’m scared and panicking because I think about illnesses and getting a disease almost everyday. What should I do? Im very scared
i totally get where you're coming from—i've been there too and wish i could say something that would magically make it all better, but i don't want to give reassurance to your OCD. think of OCD like a pesky mosquito buzzing around your head—if you keep swatting at it, it just gets more annoying and persistent! but here's the thing: you're NOT alone, and your OCD is just being extra loud and obnoxious today. it's throwing all these "what if" thoughts at you, but remember, thoughts are just thoughts—they don't have magical powers to make things happen! so, just do your best to let those worries float by like clouds in the sky and try not to engage with them too much. you've got this, and it will get better with time and practice! keep hanging in there! 🌟
My suggestion is taking a step back and looking at some examples around you. A lot of people buy lottery tickets and wish for winning the jackpot. If thinking about something for a while would bring it to people, then everyone who whishs for winning the jackpot would win the jackpot, yet the chances of winning the jackpot are only 1 in 300 million. I suffer from Magicial Thinking OCD, for years I had been afraid, that my thoughts could make thinks happen. I did compulsions to make up for my intrusive thoughts, as I thought that was the only way to make sure my thoughts would not come true. In 2021 I started ERP for my MTOCD and I nearly completely stopped doing compulsions. None of the things my OCD told me would happen ever happened. 😉
@Zoë_84 Oh my god this was so helpful. Thank you, you made my day!
@Lauriee I love you picture, by the way. ;)
@Zoë_84 Thank you you’re very sweet!
You are very welcome. OCD is a very tricky and sneaky illness, that tries everything to make us anxious.
I'm so sorry you're feeling this way. I understand how frightening it can be when thoughts like these seem to take control. I’ve been there too. I used to worry constantly about getting sick, especially after hearing or reading about someone else's illness. It felt like every little symptom was a sign of something serious, and it would spiral from there. Just the other day, I read an article about a rare illness, and it brought back some of those old fears. It’s hard, but you’re not alone in this. Try to remind yourself that having these thoughts doesn’t mean they will come true. Our minds can play tricks on us, especially when we’re anxious. It’s okay to feel scared, but you are strong enough to sit with this uncertainty. Have you been able to find any strategies or techniques that help you manage these thoughts? If not, it might be helpful to talk to a therapist who specializes in OCD. They can provide guidance and support tailored to your needs. Remember, you are resilient and capable of overcoming this.
i can totally relate to what you're going through—it's like our OCD loves to latch onto anything it can, right?! i wish i could say something to make you feel better, but i don't want to provide reassurance to your OCD because that just feeds it more. think of OCD like a really annoying song stuck in your head—the more you try to get rid of it, the louder it gets! you're definitely not alone in this, and it's just your OCD being extra annoying and loud today. just do your best to not listen to it and keep moving forward~ you've got this!
I'm so sorry you're feeling this way. It must be incredibly unsettling to have those thoughts and then see something that seems to reinforce your fears. I understand how overwhelming it can be when your mind starts spiraling like that. I remember when I used to have intrusive thoughts about something bad happening to my loved ones, and how a small comment or post would trigger a wave of anxiety. Recently, I read an article about accidents, and it sent my mind racing with 'what-ifs.' It's so tough to sit with those feelings, but you're not alone in this. Try to remind yourself that thoughts are just thoughts, and they don't have the power to make things happen. It's okay to feel scared, but you have the strength to get through this. Can you try to gently redirect your focus to something that brings you a little bit of peace or comfort? A favorite book, a calming playlist, or maybe a short walk outside? Remember, you're much stronger than these thoughts, and you are not defined by them.
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.
Two things are happening: I get thoughts that just keep looping. They almost feel like song stuck in my head. Also, I’ll imagine something and I feel my stomach drop. Then as the seconds go by I keep getting fragments of the this thought but with different details. For example, it’s kinda like how a “vision” is portrayed. I’ll get a glimpse of the thought and then it’ll rapidly expand into something worse every few seconds. I don’t know if I’m causing this or if it’s just an automatic thing like any other intrusive thought. It feels unavoidable, idk if this is a compulsion or if it’s just another manifestation of an intrusive thought. Apart from that remembering an intrusive thought triggers the full thought again and then it just keeps looping or expanding. I don’t know how to stop any of this. Help?
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.
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