Tips for daily anxiety and ocd?

[Phil10]

Can anybody give me some general tips?
I suffer daily had CBT but it never really worked for me. Had ten sessions.

My main worries today are bin germs, poo emoji stuff in shops and my fear of death I think about it daily and worry my time is running out. Also I worry about putting stuff on Facebook or adding certain people as my ocd says I may have spoke to them before and I become obsessed. Sure I don’t need to add them. I also suffer some anxiety daily I have ocd about long train journeys and fear of flying. I also suffer solipsism.

I have been able to switch jobs and go on the London Underground in recent weeks so I been able to push myself but feel I need further help. I have some questions like I feel I suffer every day and worry I’m in poor mental health? I mean don’t other people feel well each day but with ocd and anxiety some days I feel awful? Anybody else get this? I am looking for general tips which I can do to improve things?

 

[Cuchculan]

If Facebook is caysing anybody any issues at all, that is effecting their health, they should not have a Facebook account. That is the easiest way to sort that problem out.

Bin germs. Any rubbish for a main bin, we tend to place in a bag in the kitchen. We don't leave it there all day. Just there during the hours we are cooking and all of that. Then the whole bag goes into the main wheelie bin. We don't leave anything horrible lying about the house. Straight into the bin such a thing would go. But my mother always tends to bag such items in advance. Then simple wash your hands.

Death is just one of those things that comes as part of life. It will happen to everybody some day. I think the more we know about death, the less of a fear it becomes. As it is people hate talking about the subject. I always say to make it seem normal, talk about it. Get used to it. That is not saying anybody wants to die any day soon. We might live for another 40 years or another year. Who knows.

 

[Hurt&Hopeful]

@Phil10 Have you gotten any help other than CBT for your OCD? There are medications that can help if you have access to a good doctor. It's hard when those thoughts take over and your mind starts racing. So my first tip would be to make sure you're taking care of your mental health with a good professional. After that, you've taken a good step by reaching out for support here. Do you have a good support system at home?

I don't have OCD, but I have dealt with anxiety for most of my life. I have learned some good tips and tricks (like breathing exercises) to help calm me down in a crisis - maybe others have some tips for working through OCD?

 

[MainerMikeBrown]

Phil, ten therapy sessions with a CBT therapist isn't much. It takes time for CBT to work, as it's a slow process. Have you considered going back into therapy?

 

[Phil10]

Phil, ten therapy sessions with a CBT therapist isn't much. It takes time for CBT to work, as it's a slow process. Have you considered going back into therapy?

Well yes but I spent £300 on the CBT and it never helped much so I worry about spending anymore and not getting results?

 

[Hurt&Hopeful]

That’s tough, @Phil10 . I spent a lot of years and money in therapy as well. I won’t lie and say it was all helpful. In fact, some of it was worthless. BUT -some of it was not, and I believe one therapist helped to save my life when I was in a particularly hopeless place. One taught me to survive panic attacks. And one taught me how to work on my extreme anxiety episodes and PTSD when I was finally ready to go there. It’s been a long journey for me because I moved around a lot and had trouble finding the right person. But I wouldn’t give up on it just yet if I were you - maybe the person you were seeing wasn’t a good fit? Are they specialized in OCD and coping with it?

 

[Phil10]

That’s tough, @Phil10 . I spent a lot of years and money in therapy as well. I won’t lie and say it was all helpful. In fact, some of it was worthless. BUT -some of it was not, and I believe one therapist helped to save my life when I was in a particularly hopeless place. One taught me to survive panic attacks. And one taught me how to work on my extreme anxiety episodes and PTSD when I was finally ready to go there. It’s been a long journey for me because I moved around a lot and had trouble finding the right person. But I wouldn’t give up on it just yet if I were you - maybe the person you were seeing wasn’t a good fit? Are they specialized in OCD and coping with it?

Yes they dealt with ocd and anxiety my fear is staying fresh telling my story again takes a few sessions. I wouldn’t rule out going back my mind says go back to the same thearpist as she knows my background? I think the issue is my mind doesn’t seem to take in the CBT?

 

[Hurt&Hopeful]

I understand how that feels! And there are a couple of things I can share, at least from my own experience. One, like you said, it takes a while to get through the story, and it can take even longer to develop real trust with someone. I personally take a long time to open up. But let’s also talk about the science behind therapy. CBT works primarily with the frontal cortex of your brain. Your thinking part. It helps you change your conscious thought patterns - something that is really important for dealing with panic attacks or OCD. BUT - talk therapy doesn’t necessarily get down into the deeper parts of your brain, where you store traumas and some of the more primitive, unconscious reactions to the things around you. I have an anxiety disorder coupled with PTSD, so CBT helped me deal with some of it, but not all of it. Something like EMDR or brainspotting therapy has been more effective for me in that area. I’m 40 - at this point, I know where my anxiety comes from and what caused the mess. I’m just working on trying to convince my body and brain that they are safe when they won’t listen to me. It’s not an overnight process, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. So I would encourage you to do some research about OCD and effective therapies, and talk to the therapist if you trust them about what your goals are. You CAN get better!

 

[Phil10]

Lately I have found I get one of my anxiety attacks if something isn’t in the house like some chocolate or a drink of juice. I start feeling anxious about the shops being closed has anybody else experienced this? I know I need to teach myself to accept I can wait until the next day for it or I don’t actually need it most time’s I give in and go to the shop

 

[Phil10]

One of the neighbours seemingly out my wheelie bin out I am annoyed at this as my partner was going shopping and I never wanted it left outside. The ocd is telling me it was my partners mum and she touched and contaminated the house but from what I heard she was never in the house only outside. This is the ocd train I go on I can’t be sure. Sure if I can’t confirm something or don’t see something it’s some what easier but it makes me feel uneasy knowing the bin was touched and we have no idea who it was I can’t really chap all the neighbours doors to check?

 

[Phil10]

How can I be sure someone hasn’t touched the bin then my door handles and spread the germs all over the house?

 

[Hurt&Hopeful]

Maybe get some disinfectant and just wipe it down? Not a bad idea to disinfect bins and doorhandles either way. Best of luck.

 

[Phil10]

Maybe get some disinfectant and just wipe it down? Not a bad idea to disinfect bins and doorhandles either way. Best of luck.

Thanks maybe I could use some methods in challenging the thoughts to realise it’s unlikely anybody would deliberately touch stuff in the house to spread germs to annoy me?

 

[Hurt&Hopeful]

Thanks maybe I could use some methods in challenging the thoughts to realise it’s unlikely anybody would deliberately touch stuff in the house to spread germs to annoy me?

Also true!

 

[Phil10]

With my anxiety lately I have been feeling anxious as my brother has split with his wife. Also my partners work isn’t allowing her to know if she can have holidays and the holiday is only a few weeks away anybody got any tips?

 

[Deyan]

Can anybody give me some general tips?
I suffer daily had CBT but it never really worked for me. Had ten sessions.

My main worries today are bin germs, poo emoji stuff in shops and my fear of death I think about it daily and worry my time is running out. Also I worry about putting stuff on Facebook or adding certain people as my ocd says I may have spoke to them before and I become obsessed. Sure I don’t need to add them. I also suffer some anxiety daily I have ocd about long train journeys and fear of flying. I also suffer solipsism.

I have been able to switch jobs and go on the London Underground in recent weeks so I been able to push myself but feel I need further help. I have some questions like I feel I suffer every day and worry I’m in poor mental health? I mean don’t other people feel well each day but with ocd and anxiety some days I feel awful? Anybody else get this? I am looking for general tips which I can do to improve things?

It is very important to admit to yourself that you are feeling anxiuous. Do not fight your feelings of anxiety. When the feeling of anxiety comes, be aware of it, label it by saying to yourself that you feel anxious, allow yourself to feel the feeling of anxiety, accept that feeling for yourself and just let it run in you. After some time it will go..