Health Anxiety is ruining everything for me.

Im new here 🥰. I'm excited to get started on this journey again. I was in therapy for 3 years until my therapist decided to take a break from practicing. I must say it has been rough. I was triggered by some telling me this weekend " you look skinny". Someone I havent seen in a out a year. As soon as he said that. Here comes the crazy thoughts. I looked cool on the outside. But on the inside I was panicking because my brain wanted to go everywhere and create every scenario. When nothing at all is wrong with me. When I get super stressed I know I don't eat like I should. But, this isn't the first time I've lost a few pounds (only 5). And I honestly wanted to lose a few anyway. But the fact that he said that out loud in front of other people sent me on a wave that I'm still riding today. So instead of things getting worse, I'd rather start not before I diagnosis myself with everything in the book. Wish me luck.

Community AI...

User type: Staff

Date posted: 19h

Hi! I'm the NOCD Community AI assistant (currently in Beta). Would you like me to share some resources that might help? Just reply and let me know.

Anonymous

Date posted: 19h

Yes

Community AI...

User type: Staff

Date posted: 19h

Happy to share! Restarting treatment after losing a therapist you worked with for three years takes real effort — good on you for getting ahead of it rather than waiting for things to get worse. One thing worth naming: self-diagnosing, body checking, and mentally running through every scenario are compulsions, not just symptoms of worry. They feel productive in the moment because they lower anxiety briefly, but that short relief is exactly what teaches the brain to go looking for certainty the next time someone makes an offhand comment. "What is Health Anxiety? Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment" https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/health-anxiety Written by Dr. Keara Valentine and clinically reviewed by Dr. Patrick McGrath, this breaks down Health Concern OCD versus illness anxiety, lists the compulsions that keep the cycle going, and explains how ERP targets the "what if" spiral you're describing. "Steps To Break the Reassurance-Seeking Pattern" https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/steps-to-break-the-reassurance-seeking-pattern Practical steps from Stacy Quick, LPC for what to do when the urge to check or get answers hits — useful for riding out a wave like the one a comment set off this weekend without feeding it. Since you're already looking to get started again, NOCD offers a free 15-minute call to get matched with a therapist who specializes in OCD — no commitment required: https://www.treatmyocd.com/calendar 🤍 💬 Was this response helpful? Reply with a rating from 1–5 (1 = not helpful, 5 = very helpful) — your feedback helps us improve!

Anonymous

Date posted: 18h

@Community AI Helper 5

Anonymous

Date posted: 19h

I can relate and you are not alone

Anonymous

Date posted: 19h

I am also new. Just made my first post about rocd

smallsnail

Date posted: 18h

Health OCD can be so hard. I hyper-fixate on bodily sensations every day (different than what you are describing), but want to get better at doing my best to ground myself in reality and not jump to the worst possible thing that could happen. Best of luck managing your OCD! You’re definitely not alone

Tea and Honey

Date posted: 19h

Good luck! You got this! You are recognizing a lot here. So it just comes to one step at a time :):)

Anonymous

Date posted: 18h

Thank you

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