Can health ocd be on the theme mental health ocd ? Like afraid of other disorder

Oh ok I am sorry you feel this way ! Are you ok now ?

@bebrave❤️ My themes tend to move around so it still does bug me but I am now aware of my thoughts and am able to not let them stand in the way of my life

@ethach56 What do you find has helped you best? I’m struggling so bad at the moment

@cmd88 Most of it was just training myself to trust that things will be ok, even in the off chance my health fears are true. I learned to stop googling and catastrophizing every situation. I still get a lot of anxiety during the moments if intrusive thoughts and its hard to escape, and my therapist said you cannot think your way out of moments like that. Its been helpful to play some music or a podcast and go on a briskwalk. Clears the head and gets the adrenaline out. I still struggle a lot, and some days it feels like i have barely made progress, but in the big picture, i am learning and understanding that what I am going through is not all of me. Hope this helps?

@cmd88 Also, i came to realize that there are people, even people i look up to(i am an animation student) who have experienced what I have, and even experienced things I feared. We are stronger than we believe!

@ethach56 Thank u for sharing ? It sometimes helps me to accept that if my worries are true I will get through it. But some days the thought of them being true leads me to catastrophise to the point where I have lost everything that matters and I am no longer myself and detained and that’s not a life I could cope with. Do you find a particular therapy helpful. Also I am terrified of medication due to potential side effects of hallucinations and delusions ( I know this is very rare) but I will avoid it like the plague if there’s even the slightest risk. I have taken fluoxetine in the past and tried again recently to restart but the side effects of increased anxiety and insomnia tipped me into crisis and I became extremely unwell. Some days it’s like I have control and I can see a future and a life and the next I can retreat to my bed and not speak to a soul or move all day. I just want some relief

@cmd88 I actually am on medication and it has been very helpful. The first couple of weeks are the ones where you really experience any side effects, and i did have those same fears but usually when you are first put on medication your provider will work closely with you so if anything scary or alarming happens, they will know to stop it. As for therapy, I am only doing CBT, but I have been trying to lean into my fears when I feel strong so I can get closer to overcoming them. I totally understand the feeling of crisis as well; my diagnosis was only a few months ago and it was during my first semester away from home. It was undeniably the worst experience I’ve had but I’ve now learned and grown and am still working to be stronger. You can do this?

@ethach56 If u don’t kind me asking what meds are u on? So I have been prescribed sertraline now and even advised to take 25mg every other day to allow it in my system (I’m aware this isn’t a therapeutic dose) just with me being so sensitive to the fluoxetine. But it literally scares the life out of me. We have crisis team here for intensive home treatment as an alternative to someone who would otherwise be hospitalised and I had their involvement for a few weeks recently and have just came out of the other side of that hit still have days where I literally can’t face life at all and no longer want to continue this torture. Then other days it’s like I’m more or less ok and I’m feeling strong. I can’t see a way through this time however. I’ve gone from a very outgoing, social, hardworking mother to a recluse who is terrified to even be awake some days. I’ve had a lot of CBT. I found it extremely helpful, but only because it fell into reassurance seeking and it gave me temp relief. But my GP and therapist have both said now it’s not an option because of the reassurance seeking. I’m so pleased u feel as though u have some control, that’s great! I hope one day to get there too x

@cmd88 I am on sertraline as well, working my way up to 100/200 hopefully. It was difficult to adjust to it in the beginning, but it did get better. I am so sorry you have to go through this, I know this must be really hard. I am rooting for you!

@ethach56 I’m really considering the medication. In all honesty I know it’s the correct route to go down even just to rule out if not helpful. I just need to build up the courage. Thank you for ur kind words ❤️

I can’t find about mental illness fear ! But thanks for sharing it means a lot