I have major health ocd. I had an mri scheduled but I couldn't go through with it as soon as they put me in the machine. I also have to get the mri with iv contrast dye. They rescheduled me for a bigger mri machine and dr have me a prescription for 1mg xanax. Does anyone have tips for mris? I really just want to get this over with
hi! i don’t know how they offer mri for you but whenever i use to get mine, they offered music or even to watch tv. if not find a subject to focus on your mind with. maybe a character from a book you can make a whole story about in your head! a color you saw earlier and start thinking of other colors you’ve seen that week. just a subject in general:) that helps me stay in the present. also count your breaths. 1-10
Thank you this helps! I was thinking of bringing an eye mask with me so I don't have to look the whole time haha
@Butterfly_02 that’s smart! good luck! you got this:)
I have a lot of health anxiety due to health problems. I'm also claustrophobic. Usually they give you headphones and music so I would close my eyes and focus on that. I also would make fun of the silly noises the MRI machine makes. Also thinking logically about what is going on like knowing an MRI is just taking pictures to help you. They usually are pretty short too so I would always try to count the songs (this may be a compulsion) just to let me know how much time there was left. I hope this helps
Do the techs talk to you at all during the mri? I'm wondering if they'll be able to tell me the half way point. I think mine is around 30 mins
@Butterfly_02 It's been a while since I've had one but I had one for my hip and it was around 30 mins also. Usually they check in on you. You also get a little button to hold in your hand the whole time if you need something. That is something you could also tell them that ur nervous and ask if they can let you know that beforehand.
Newly diagnosed with OCD but have struggled with depression, anxiety, ptsd, and night terrors for about 20 years now. Never knew it was OCD! Anyhow, I struggle with existential OCD and perfectionism OCD which has always caused me to dislike “regular” talk therapy because it never worked, there was no point, and I was worried I wasn’t doing it right. Well I’ve started ERP with my therapist, and now every day that I have therapy, I anxiously spiral about how it’s going to be bad, and I’m not going to get better anyway because I’m not doing it right, and what’s the point in getting better anyway. Sorry for the run on sentences. Does anyone have advice for getting motivated for therapy sessions and not fearing them? TL;DR: Does anyone have advice of how to stay motivated for ERP therapy with doubts of failing/anxiety/existential thoughts?
Treatment - ERP Hey so basically I'm just soooo scared to do ERP. I started doing erp with one service and I couldn't cope with our first exposure which was just sitting alone for 20 minutes and accepting intrusive thoughts with no compulsions'. I found this so distressing and hard. I've been moved services and probably will be doing ERP with them but I really don't want to do it. I know it's the gold standard treatment for OCD but it scares me so much knowing I have to do it. I'm scared it will make me way more sick and at this point in my life I cannot afford to be more sick (I'm starting year 13 next month and doing my A-level exams in may) I want to trust that this will work but I'm just very scared. I'm scared that this service will be just as bad as the other one. One of my big fears that we did my hierarchy for with service 1 was around science practicals as that was the only fear that therapist 1. I'm scared that therapist 2 will focus on the same scenario (which is a scenario that I struggle A LOT with) but I can't do that, I'm not sure what my hierarchy will be this time. I can't think of any harm exposures at all but I'm sure she will be able to.
I recently went to my PCP for routine bloodwork, that I wanted, just to ease my mind and make sure there weren't any issues that needed attention. When they called with the results, I couldn't answer the phone. I felt an immediate sense of doom, my hands got tingley, and I just couldn't answer. It took 45 mins of crying, pacing around, and convincing myself that everything was going to be alright, to finally be able to call back. I had this done on my own, I requested this so I could try to stay on top of my health, I had NO real reason to be scared of any results.. My health anxiety seems to be different than the majority of fellow sufferers. Most people will run to the Dr for any and everything. I am the opposite. I don't want to know. I'm terrified. I've been this way since I was a kid.... I want to know that I'm healthy, but actually going to the appointments and having the tests that can tell me that...is like a nightmare for me. Does anyone else have this type of health anxiety? Has anyone found a way to ease the fear? My logical brain tells me that if there ever is something wrong, I'd want to know as soon as possible, so I could get treatment immediately. But my panicky, overthinking brain, is more powerful and won't let me do that in peace. It's exhausting wanting to be healthy and keep on top of things when you can't muster up the courage to go to the doctor like a normal adult. UGH
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