Has. OCD and anxiety ever made you have to cancel an important family trip? I just had to make the decision to pull out but feel so guilty and wish I could just shake it off and plan to get on the plane... but OCD doesn't work like that... the more I thought about it the more afraid I was getting.
Yes, unfortunately. It’s okay, keep fighting ❤️
I am sorry you’re experiencing this. I’ve canceled so many trips I’ve lost track and would feel guilty too. However, I’ve started to be able to follow through on trips more and push through. I accept I’ll be up all night anxious & stressed (and maybe not get any sleep at all), but I’ve told myself I’ll go to the airport no matter what. Even if I’m tired or panicking, I go to the airport and decide after I’ve gone through TSA if I want to still back out or not. Generally once I’m at the airport and waiting at the gate, I’m fine with boarding and doing my trip. But I don’t decide at the house, I make myself go to tnd airport and decide inside. I hope you don’t beat yourself up too much with guilt. You’re doing the best you can and there’s always room to try again.
It’s not making you cancel your trip, honestly. You are giving into the stress from OCD and anxiety and canceling. Do you truly want to give it that power and ruin your fun? That’s up to you, but definitely mull over it.
I have cancelled trips as well, for me it was specifically due to an extreme fear of flying. I also wait until I’m at the airport and through TSA before deciding anything. I became curious about why I was afraid, which led me to flying more often than I normally would just so I could “study” it more, and maybe come up with a solution. now I’ve found a routine and mentality that works for me!
Thank you all so much for your responses. A little more background info. Up until a week ago I was conquering my ocd, just meeting for maintenance with my therapist. Last July I traveled from California where I live back to the UK, where I'm originally from and my family and I also went to Spain for spring break. I was so looking forward to this trip to London and Scotland to see friends and relatives, started packing... Last Monday one of our sweet bunnies unexpectedly died while I was at the vet with our other bunny, whose health has been deteriorating, by Thursday she was getting worse and I had to make the decision to end her suffering. They were part of our family for 9 years so it was a traumatic week. After a day or two I started getting intrusive thoughts, mostly about the bunnies but then ocd just started having a field day. I was beaten down into the hell pit, not knowing what is grief and what is ocd. I couldn't risk getting to the airport and not taking the flight and losing $4000 as my 3 teenagers were traveling with me so we were able to do a name change to my husband.
I hate that ocd got the upper hand this time, but I will come back fighting!
i’m visiting NYC for a couple of nights for my girlfriends birthday. i’m really excited but i’m so scared my intrusive thoughts will ruin the whole trip for me. i have trans OCD and i’ve been learning to live with it but when i get into my panic modes, it’s very bad. what will i do if i have a flare up in the middle of the trip? i’m so scared. i wish i could just experience it and be happy. this is ruining me.
Hey guys have you ever just start doing something, either work, practice, or simply just enjoy life with family and friends, but then all of the sudden you just start to want to cry over your thoughts, and every mistake you made, every mental image you feel guilty over.
I don't expect anyone to give my a full article of answers, but does anyone else experience more intensity of their OCD/intrusive thoughts during road trips/vacations?? I remember even long before being diagnosed I would be obviously excited for a vacation but at the same time so nervous for the vacations because i knew that my intrusive thoughts got so much worse and felt more "real" i guess in a sense during them. It's the weirdest thing. Maybe it's the long drives or just the stress of being in an unfamiliar place?? Appreciate y'all. Have a good one.
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