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Definitely, I'm dealing with anxiety and intrusive thoughts

I feel like this often. But sometimes I have to remember that the “panic” I’m experiencing will do nothing for me IF there is actually something wrong with me in that moment (which there usually isn’t). I will get extremely anxious and panicked from a minor headache and my heart rate will sky rocket which makes me feel like I’m gonna faint! I totally understand what you’re going through. I’m trying to find out how to handle it but the only way I can calm myself down is by asking “what would panicking even do to help me rn”.

I believe staying busy can really help. Sometimes keeping yourself occupied with meaningful work or even small tasks can stop your mind from spiraling into anxiety. Idleness gives room for overthinking so staying engaged can make a real difference.

Yes! I so feel your worry, sadness & pain, especially on this topic . This disorder consumes me in a daily as well . . I suffer from many of your same symptoms , it is so frustrating at times I just feel simply defended.

You are absolutely not alone. I 100% understand this! I felt so helpless for a long time, and had a lot of the same issues and panics you're describing. It's been about a year and a half since my worst point, and I've had to do a lot of really hard work, including trying a couple of different medications until I found one that helped. I also really struggled with the first medication I took which did have some side effects which really bothered me. I found that coupling a short term, quick acting anti-anxiety while taking an SSRI ended up being helpful because the quick acting anti-anxiety was able to help me regulate much better until the SSRI really started being effective. I've been in talk therapy for almost two years, dealing with other traumas and emotional baggage that negatively impact my OCD, and have also been engaging with ERP - definitely the hardest but most effective OCD specific treatment. I have often felt very hopeless, but ultimately have found I've been able to make so much more progress than I ever thought was possible. I still sometimes struggle with panic and intrusive thoughts, but hearing about other people's experience with similar issues really helps me remember I'm not alone, and I'm not crazy! All in all - please don't feel like you're by yourself or that there isn't any hope!! Because you aren't alone, and you absolutely can get better, I know from experience!

100% this was me before Zoloft and ERP therapy. I used to have panic attacks every night. I slowly learned to manage them in with the help of Claire Weeks book Hope and Help for Your Nerves. It’s a bit outdated but the principles still work. I went from daily panic attacks to a few times a year. Then I had a flare up and tried Zoloft (I was deathly afraid of medicine but had hit a low where I was willing to try anything) and honestly since finding the right dose I haven’t had a proper panic attack in years. I like to think of it as medication lowered the difficulty level so I could go on this epic ERP adventure where I learned my true inner strength. I’m a gamer lol. It helped me to frame ERP exercises as challenges on the way to my OCD boss fight. I know you have that same inner strength too, OCD is just trying to tell you otherwise. You’ve got this!

This was me when my anxiety and panic first started. Spent a whole year not believing doctors or anyone for that matter. I was CONVINCED I was dying. I promise it gets better. I was terrified or drinking, caffeine, cardio, adderall, and just anything that would alter my internal. I defeated this by meditating and just doing things scared. I slowly introduced caffeine, started smoking weed slightly, challenged every thought I had with an action. If I thought I was having a panic attack, I would go for a walk or run to challenge myself to have a heart attack. It never happened and while doing that, I proved to myself that I my scared little heathen brain was wrong. I know right now, it sounds impossible to do but when you defeated your first internal thought, it’ll change you. Now that I don’t struggle with this or ocd much, I have incorporated that thought process in everything that I do and want to do for my own life. I gotten so far and experienced so many great things because of this. Side note: this was all before therapy.