A nurse with OCD

I just started my new job maybe a couple months ago and I’m officially off orientation. I had a couple shifts by myself but the anxiety I feel being alone is honestly beastly. I keep getting scared that I’ll end up giving my patients someone else’s medications, keep having thoughts of “what if I give patient A medications to patient C.” My hair keeps falling out, I get such bad pre work and post work anxiety. On my days off all I think about is work. It’s taking a toll on my mental health and my relationship with my boyfriend. I am mad and stressed all the time. I’m just so tired and I honestly feel like I’m getting depressed. I want to stick it out a couple more months so I can get a job somewhere that’s not in a hospital. I just feel so stuck and scared all the time. If anyone else is a nurse with OCD what did you do to help with your anxiety and OCD?

Young adults with OCD

OCDNoThankYe

Date posted: 23w

Hey there, I'm so sorry to hear that you're struggling right now. I think that it would be helpful if I shared my story with you. I have had OCD my whole life, but I never knew that's what I was dealing with, I always thought it was anxiety. I worked as an EMT for 3 years full time on an ambulance, and I suffered greatly with intrusive thoughts about accidentally causing harm to someone, missing something etc. I am not going to share all of the thoughts that I had, because I don't want to trigger any new thoughts for you, but it was absolutely terrible. I was constantly anxious, I dreaded going to work and was just overall suffering pretty terribly. What made this worse for me, was that I absolutely love and care for people and helping them, but my OCD just kept tossing out these off the wall thoughts that broke me. I eventually left medicine because of it, and only got worse. That is until I got diagnosed last year with OCD and began therapy for it. Please, find an OCD specialized therapist who can help you navigate these thoughts and practice ERP. That's the only way to get through this, they will give you the tools that you need to effectively confront the thoughts that you are facing and to see them as just that, thoughts. OCD is affecting you and your loved ones, you owe it yourself and them to seek help. You deserve happiness and fulfillment from your work and life. I promise you, things do get better. Just know that even though I don't know you, I empathize so much with what you're going through and want to remind you that you're not alone. You got this.

Disko

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 22w

Struggling in a new job healthcare

It’s been a really long time since I’ve been here. I’m about to go back to school for nursing. But right now I’m working as a nursing assistant in the hospital. Idk if it’s my body adjusting to seeing new INTENSE things every day or shoving so much information into me at once with long 12 hour shifts. And when I’m at work and conscious it’s completely fine. But when I come home and sleep I wake up from bad dreams. Yesterday at work there were maybe 10 rapids (when you call an emergency for your patient, don’t always have a good ending) and I woke up this morning remembering my dream that I was in the hospital and my heart stopped and they had to call a rapid on me. Maybe it’s not even OCD??? And it’s just heavy heavy stuff that I’ve never seen before and it’s just my brain and body adjusting to life and things that can be really scary. It just feels a bit like when my OCD was bad and I’m scared I’m really in my head right now I don’t want it to get worse. Can anyone relate???

Anonymous

Date posted: 21w

Advice on getting by?

Hi! I’m new to the NOCD community, but I’ve been dealing with OCD since I was 12. I’m almost 29 now, and my biggest issue is health anxiety. It’s gotten to the point where getting work done is nearly impossible because i can’t stop spiraling. I’m lucky that i work remotely, but also makes it easier to be in my own head… Asking for advice - how do you all deal with the intense anxiety and are able to make it through a 9-5 work day? Any suggestions on how I can actually be productive? Thank you!

Cara H.

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 17w

Work related OCD

Does anyone have OCD regarding always feeling like you are not good enough at your job? I'm 58 years old now I've had OCD since childhood. Every job I've been at I never felt as good as my colleagues. I am a nurse but I worked at that for 15 years I had a breakdown of sorts in 2017 and went on disability. I now work part time as a a swim instructor for kids. I always was afraid of killing someone when I was a nurse. Then I tried dog grooming but I was afraid I would do it wrong and hurt the dogs. At least now the stakes are lower. But my OCD is the same. I work with colleagues who are about 40 years younger than I am . I am afraid of teaching certain classes bc I feel like I wouldn't do as good a job as someone else. I know I can do it but it's like I have a fear of not giving them their money's worth. I've been at my current job for 2 years . I've gotten very positive comments from my managers but I can't seem to believe them. I feel a lot of shame bc I lost a lot of my life to OCD and I am at an age where people are starting to retire after long and successful careers and here I am working at an entry level job. I'm planning on trying to get out of my comfort zone and teaching some of the classes I'm afraid of .it's really hard. I'm always scared what if I lose my benefits and had to work again as a nurse how would I do it.

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A nurse with OCD

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