- Username
- Team Uncertainty
- User type
- NOCD Alumni
- Date posted
- 4y ago
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 ❤️
Really need some support/advice right now. I’ve had multiple panic attacksbecause of everything that’s going on right now with this pandemic. I just really need some help but I know I’m not supposed to ask for reassurance. Everyone is panicking, even people w/out OCD which makes me panic even more. I honestly feel like I need to go to a psychiatric hospital or something, I’m just afraid of having a complete meltdown. I haven’t really been able to go anywhere such as grocery store, gas station, etc. bc I don’t want to touch anything.
Does anyone feel extreme OCD guilt for going out during this virus? I can’t get the guilt out of my head. I have been practicing social distancing and only going out when I need to now for the last week. I just keep thinking when I went to a store that wasn’t necessary what if I passed this virus to someone?
(How can you do ERP when there is a legit concern?) Trigger warning for Contamination OCD/coronavirus. For instance, I’m pregnant right now and have had a resurgence of contamination OCD. (I also have GAD, so I’m never sure which tactic to take with a thought.) Health really is a legitimate concern here, and I’m told I should be more careful. Of course I overdo it, yet ERP seems to be the exact opposite of being more careful and that seems very, very unwise. How do you do exposure for something that your doctor says to not do? How do you do exposure for something like, for another unrelated example, not wearing a mask around other people right now in the time of the pandemic when you’re absolutely required to wear a mask and it’s dangerous to not? ERP basically doesn’t make sense to me. By that thinking I should be changing the litter box and not washing my hands and *I definitely should not do that*. How do you do ERP when there is a legitimate aspect of an actual concern?
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