- User type
- NOCD Alumni
- Date posted
- 4y
Something a therapist had said to me regarding this was pretty much what upon mentioned at the end- no one can tell you for certain, not even yourself, we all (even people without ocd) just have to accept the uncertainty of this, and continue to follow CDC guidelines as we're doing, that's all we can do. Even getting tested doesn't help with the uncertainty because the thought will be "what if I got covid while I was waiting for the results" or something, so ALL we can do is accept the uncertainty, and just keep doing the protective measures CDC recommends.
This is helpful, thank you!
There is an episode on “The OCD Stories” podcast with Dr Jon Grayson - Coronavirus and OCD. Might be very helpful if you are dealing with OCD and intrusive thoughts surrounding the pandemic. As @CR said, i would follow CDC guidelines, but nothing more. Doing more would be a compulsion and making your OCD more powerful. Best of luck!
After doing what is suggested by CDC/WHO/etc., worrying won’t help whether from OCD or the “more reasonable” amount that non-sufferers feel. So after I’ve done what I’m supposed to, if I’m getting anxious, even in the middle of a grocery aisle, I just stop, close my eyes, take some breaths, and assess how much more I think I can handle and set that as my goal. Like if I am on my last item and then have checkout, I say, “Ok, do those last tasks, then you can get home or even yell in your car to vent and move on.” If I still have half a list, I decide if I can still get all the items or if I need to shorten my trip so that I don’t completely melt down in the store or just after. Sending you peace. 💜
Thank you everyone ❤️
So, I know my capacity to get fixated on things. And it's normally something that's relatively remote but, my latest issue is really getting to me and I was wondering if people have any advice. I'm avoiding getting too into specifics, as I don't want this to get reassurance-y but, in essence.. I came to the realisation recently that people who I'd been "friends" (feels like the wrong term now) when I was younger were not very nice people, and normalized a lot of very unpleasant behaviour towards other members of the group. They really normalized it, sold themselves as figures of authority, as older and more responsible and grown-up than others, and looking back, they acted horribly. And coming to this realisation, that I'd been manipulated into just accepting their behaviour has just... broken me. My OCD has latched onto it and I can't stop feeling irreversibly tainted by it. I've talked to others about it, and they've reassured me, told me it's not a big deal and that I hold myself to too high a standard, but none of that sticks. I feel better for a bit, then think 'Maybe when you told them you were skewing it to make yourself look better' or 'Did you leave out a crucial detail'. I keep ruminating over and over, trying to remember exactly how everything played out, trying to figure out if I fed into the behaviour, if I did something bad myself (because y'know, I feel like I was accepting of it at the time, so what does it say about my own values?). I know I need to stop doing all this if I want to improve, but then some part of me keeps saying 'So, you're just going to let yourself off the hook then?' Normally, I can rationalize my own fears to some degree, assure myself something won't happen, but the realness of the situation, and the fact I only came to understand the reality of it because the thought had been bothering me means it feels so much more all-encompassing. I know confessing in itself is a compulsion, but I keep feeling that if I'm not I'm somehow concealing what I 'really am' from others around me, and any positive interactions are me deceiving them in some way. I feel like I can't enjoy anything in life right now, and a good part of me feels I should not enjoy it ever again. If anybody has any advice on it, I'm all ears. Or even hearing if you relate to these feelings, I might appreciate the solidarity at least.
Recently, I’ve been struggling a ton with what I eat/put into my body? I’m a first year college student with a few different health issues (including IBS), and lately it’s been hard for me to find food on campus that doesn’t upset my stomach. I also have pretty severe emetophobia, and feel extremely anxious when I feel sick. The ironic thing is that being anxious makes me feel even worse, so I end up sticking myself in an impossible loophole. My OCD has taken hold of these fears over the past few months, and it’s been such a struggle. Especially since people have been getting food poisoning from various dining halls on my campus lately. My OCD has gotten so bad that sometimes I’m too afraid to eat food other than what I buy myself. I feel so trapped. I don’t want my OCD to affect my physical health or prevent me from eating, bc I love eating!! It’s the fear of getting sick that’s the problem. And it’s even harder when everything is so unfamiliar. Just wondering if anyone could relate. Advice is appreciated!
Hi, I’m new to this app and newly diagnosed. Question for you all, What things did you normalize and do without a second thought that when diagnosed, you realized was actually your OCD? Mine was how concerned with germs I am. I hold my breath when I open a door so the rush of wind doesn’t infect my lungs from whatever is in the room. I thought everyone was really careful and concerned like me. But Ive learned it’s not normal the lengths I go to. What was yours?
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