does anyone else have this? when I had panic attacks in the past I’d fear death, but now I’m more afraid of losing myself and being taken over by some psychotic version of me. It makes every panic attack that much more debilitating , because I’m fearing losing my brain, my future, everything…and never going back to normal.
Oh my friend! You are not alone here and many can relate to this, OCD changes and brings new thoughts and themes, losing your mind, losing control over yourself one of the most common symptom of OCD. All The Best 🙏🏻💕
@light💕 Thank you 🥹 Relieved to hear it’s common tho I can’t believe it! I thought it was one of the most unique ways my OCD has messed w me but to think others suffer from the same 💔
Wow! That perfectly described my fears too. I thought that was just me experiencing that.
@Nocd2017! Me too! 🥲 Sad to learn you and others deal with the same…It’s been absolutely devastating for me. Have you found anything that helped?
I understand. ❤️ you’re not alone friend
@anonymous00001 Thank you for the support🥹❤️🩹
I feel that right now as we speak. I am all alone with it too.
@Mike6060 As it turns out a lot of people deal with this so definitely not alone though I def understand how you feel—it’s such a unique and overwhelming experience that it’s isolating. It’s been me for the last few weeks. Hoping you find some relief ❤️🩹
@Chibee - Thank you
You’re not alone! You can conquer this, trust me. I’ve been there
@anon1254 Thank you 🥹 Any tips for overcoming it?
I’m doing ERP in therapy right now for this. You’re not alone
@Stay.Fluid Oh my gosh!! That’s amazing, I wasn’t even sure there was a way to combat this. Do u mind sharing what ERP methods you are using for this? I’d like to try some on my own, since I can’t afford therapy right now. 😭💔
@Chibee Most of the exposures are intense. Let me know if you want me to send them in a message. I don’t want to trigger anyone 😌
@Stay.Fluid I’d love to hear if u can send them over somehow 🥹 does NOCD have dms?
@Chibee I think so! Let me try and figure that out.
@Stay.Fluid I guess there are not DMs, so I will just lead this comment by saying ‼️TRIGGER WARNING‼️ Some exposures: - writing down worst case scenarios of what would happen if you lost your mind, had a psychotic break, ended up in a psych ward, etc… - reading mental health articles written by real people who have experienced psychosis - looking through your photo roll on your phone and thinking “I don’t recognize any of these people” - watching tv or movies about psychosis, schizophrenia, mental health issues, etc You always want to end ERP with something like “maybe I will lose my mind and end up in a psych ward, maybe not. I might not ever know for sure.” And sit with the discomfort. Like I said, some of these are very intense and a professional would definitely be a good aid. I wonder if NOCD has financial aid programs. There are also lots of episodes on this from the podcast “The OCD stories” Sometimes just listening to those can be a good exposure. Maybe start there.
@Stay.Fluid Wow, thank you for sharing. 😳These are definitely way too intense for me at the moment, I can’t imagine doing these as exposures. You are incredibly strong for what you’re doing and I know you will overcome it!! I think the first is the one I feel comfortable doing, still triggering but nothing that may excaberate my fears. I see a common thread of engaging with the fear, where I find myself often avoiding even searching up symptoms of psychosis for fear of “manifesting” it. My uncle actually has schizophrenia which has really made my fears feel more real, although he and I are two very different people. I suppose in the long run I should try to learn more about it, as a way of shocking my system and forcing myself to confront it head on. I’ll keep this tips in mind, thank you 🫶🏻 Wishing you the best in your recovery 🥹💕
@Chibee Thank you so much for your uplifting reply! I know you will walk the same walk I am now when you are ready 🥰 One of my best friends growing up is also schizophrenic so I totally relate to that connection and how it makes it feel more real. I often found myself ruminating about them! I also used to avoid googling about it because it was such a trigger. 😁 everything you said is so relatable!! Best of luck to you. Stay strong 🫶🏻
I actually had an experience like that recently. I just had a lot of emotions come up and shame over some past things I’m not proud of and I had this fear that I would ruminate forever about my shame and that that version of me would just ruin and take over every other aspect of my life :( that is how ocd feels though sometimes. And just like with anything else it’s good to just ride out those feelings and soon enough you’ll see that they are temporary when you don’t engage with the fear based rumination. Eventually I was just making myself a smoothie and watching a show I like and talking to my dad and everything was okay. Those intrusive thoughts and fears would still come up, but I was more grounded in the things that are important and what make me feel like me :)
@lexiestabia It’s funny because my fears don’t feel like OCD in the moment, but rather me reacting to something very real and concerning. I have to remind myself this is OCD just like anything else I’ve dealt with, and that I can’t engage with it!! I’m happy to hear you’ve found reprieve from this. ♥️🥹
does anyone else have an intense fear of developing schizophrenia or psychosis. This has been a really heavy theme for me as well. I’m constantly checking to see if I have symptoms or if I’m gonna go crazy or develop these. it’s so scary.
I am trying to see if there are others like me. For the past 12 years, I’ve had crippling Anxiety that leads to intense panic attacks. I’ve been in and out of Ambulances and ER rooms and have called 911 several times. The panic is that intense. I can be just driving down the road and out of no where, BOOM! Hit by the anxiety bus. Most of the time it leads to me panicking, thinking I’m going to die or something is fatally wrong with me. The fear is so intense that I can only find a fraction of calmness by consistently checking my blood pressure, putting on a pulsometer and even checking my blood sugar until it passes. I’m not even a diabetic. I’m always having intrusive thoughts that doctors can’t even fix me. I’ve never met anyone else like me. I feel so scared sometimes that I’m going to loose my mind and that I’m going crazy and will end up in a straight jacket. Then I get another attack just thinking about that as well. Starting new medications freak me out too. If I experience ANY minor side effect, I immediately panic and freak out. I’m being so held back by this . This is a constant obsession that I can’t shake. It’s like I walk hand in hand with Anxiety and panic. Anyone else ever had these issues?
I’ve never been diagnosed with OCD, but I relate so much to what people here are going through. I used to think it was just anxiety, and I felt like I could handle that. But lately I’ve been spiraling—constantly afraid that what I’m feeling is something worse, like psychosis or losing control of my mind. I feel so detached and scared, and I just want peace again. I have anxiety doing the smallest things, like the thought of waking up everyday and even eating give me straight up panic. I am afraid all the time, it’s paralyzing. And a lot of people say someone with psychosis wouldn’t worry that they’re in it, but then I convince myself I’ve been in it this whole time, and haven’t known, and that maybe I’ve been doing weird stuff. Idk. I also get really scared of labels. Even the idea of OCD makes me feel like I’ll never get better or like I’ll be stuck like this forever. I just want to be okay. If anyone has felt this way—confused, overwhelmed, or scared of what’s happening in their mind—I’d really appreciate any support or encouragement.
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