Health Anxiety/OCD

[worrier13]

I have always been a worrier but as I’ve gotten older and particularly after I’ve had kids, my anxiety around my health and my children’s health is through the roof.
Several years ago, I had an asbestos scare after some sanding I had done on our garage. After getting it tested, I was informed it was not asbestos sheeting.

Every now and then the OCD thoughts return with constant What Ifs. What if they used a different material to the one that was tested (all panels appeared identical before painting). What if they got the test wrong?

Nothing suggests it was asbestos. No markings on the sheets, my house being built several years after they started phasing it out, a builder telling me it’s not and of course two tests now (outside and inside the garage, both no asbestos detected).

I think it stems from the guilt of not being more aware at the time and potentially putting my family at risk. And I now have these constant thoughts questioning it all and needing to reassure myself. It’s a vicious cycle that’s affecting my life massively.

Has anyone else had anything like this happen to them?

[Amanda2000]

Hi worrier13

Yes me too me too! I understand what you mean exactly. I have contamination-OCD. I think becoming a mum was also my trigger-event.

Here are a few coping-strategies that I use:

Accept that you will never get the assurance that you need to ease your anxiety (eg. I use hand-sanitiser and then I start doubting whether the sanitiser actually works)

Use distraction to focus your mind on something else and "walk away" from the situation/negative thought. Try to think of something small to look forward to (eg. eating chocolate).

When the negative thoughts feel loud, it helps to say "stop it/go away".

Instead of trying to fight the negative thought, I just let it come and go. Visualise it floating away like a cloud or a leaf.

Happy to talk more.

[HappyHelper88]

Hello Worrier13, Thankyou for your post and welcome,

I have also been a worrier and an anxious person however I do to not have children yet so I don't know how my anxiety would be with kids.

Abestos scare would be a scary thing so I understand why that though does return thank fully it was a near miss.
I understand the guilt but it in no way shape or form was your fault, how could you have known and no one was harmed so you did not put them at risk.

Try and remember the fact that you are a good mother for caring so much about this but also realise that holding onto this event that happened in the past is going to cause you more harm then good.

The fact that it is affecting your life is not good for you, have you considered seeing someone about this? A counsellor or psychologist? it may help to talk this through with someone

If you want to talk this through with a Beyond Blue counsellor, we’re on 1300 22 4636 or you can reach us on webchat too. Please reach out whenever you need!

[Petal22]

Hi worrier13,

Wellcome to our forums!

Im so so sorry you are going through this.

I totally understand I went through severe anxiety OCD it was the most horrible, cruel condition to go through my anxiety was so severe I felt like I was living in an internal hell.

I have now recovered from this condition thanks to the help I received from health professionals, I have been recovered for 4 years going strong.

OCD is a vicious cycle but it’s a cycle that you CAN learn to break free of ! It really is possible if I can there is hope that you can too.

My recovery started from seeing my gp my gp put me on a antidepressant to help me to manage my anxiety.

We did a mental health plan together, this then aloud me to see a clinical psychologist I also saw a psychiatrist the psychiatrist diagnosed me with OCD this then led me to a clinic that specialised in OCD. This is we’re I learned to master my OCD.

It took time and perseverance to master the skills I was taught but now they come easy to me. I learned exactly what my OCD cycle was and how to disengage from it.

I no longer get caught up in the OCD cycle because I have learned how to disengage from it because I know what keeps me in it.

The therapy I did was meta cognitive therapy…… my therapy was a group therapy it was an intervention into the OCD.

There we’re many others in my group, your not alone in this.

Have you seeked professional help for your condition? I highly recommend you do because you CAN learn how to fly….. life on the other side of OCD can be amazing..

Please know that what you are describing with the what if s is exactly what I used to do…… you are doing this because I believe you are stuck in the vicious cycle of OCD… we have the intrusive thought that then sends our anxiety to high levels so we try to reassure ourselves the anxiety goes down for a short time but it always comes back with intense feelings and the OCD cycle repeats…

I learned that re assurance seeking was a compulsion of mine …. Not all compulsions are physically some are mental and they keep us in our OCD cycle it’s one of the things I no longer do.

I have written two threads you may be interested in reading.

From someone who had OCD and recovered

Effective treatment for OCD Metacognitive Therapy

Ask me any questions and hang in there

[jaz28]

Hi there,

I am sorry you are feeling this way! Asbestos is a scary thing so you have every right to be worried. OCD is also no fun to have. Have you received professional help for it - do you think it could help you? It's always an option.

Something that helps me when I notice an obsessive thought is "stop it, jerk brain!" because my jerk brain is the irrational one coming up with the irrational and obsessive thoughts, not me. I have slowly learnt to let them go if they do not serve me or if the thought has been proven wrong.

I hope things improve,

Jaz.