Stress Center Peer Support

Hello All,
Well it appears that as I'm getting better, which is an up and down roller coaster, my obsessive thoughts want to grab onto some other obsessive thought. For instance, I'm an NIU Alumni graduated in 04. If you all haven't heard about the shooting at NIU then now you know. I can't seem to escape hearing it on the news, through friends, etc. I can't seem to shake the thought and fear of it all. When I hear details I freak out thinking about the tragedy that occurred and I know EXACTLY where this guy was. I've always been afraid of hurting others, which seems to be a very common fear throughout all of us with anxiety. Simply because it's the scariest thing I can think of. After hearing this jarring news it makes me think of what drives a person to do that? I'm on medication and it's all over the news "He was off his meds and went crazy". Okay was that statement designed to scare all people with anxiety with a fear of hurting others who are on medications or what?
I'm totally aware that I would NEVER do such a thing. But now my mind is focusing on this situation and brings me to tears about the tragedy. So all in all I'm basically saying that as I'm trying to get better with my current fears, my mind wants to ruminate on new fears. Can anyone help me in moving my mind from new fears? Anny kind of encouragement would be so helpful.
Thank you and God bless you all.

Emilie - It's very characteristic for our minds to go from one obsession to another. This is the make-up of obsessive thinking. You have to start using your stop sign, calm breath and then shifting your focus onto other things in the present moment. Whistle, sing, yodel (that's always fun to learn), throw a ball around against the house and catch it. Play basketball if you have hoop handy, walk, run, jog, ride bicycle, journal how you feel (without trying to fix it). Practice because you are creating a new habit when you do this. Be patient with yourself. It takes time as does any change that we make but change will come if you persevere.

You don't have to talk to what you hear in your head. Just tell it to go away. There are no guarantees in life and you need to stop looking for them. But what you are worried about is highly impossible for yourself. You look at your own history. If you have not done a violent act in your life you aren't about to start now. You can trust that but your ego thinking mind doesn't want you to trust it because getting anxious is what keeps it coming back over and over again. The solution is to stop reacting to your thoughts. Follow the above exercise over and over and you'll feel yourself eventually calm down. Soothe yourself throughout this process. Comfort yourself all the time. You'll see changes.

To put it simply, I tell my crazy racing-in-overdrive ego mind the following:

"thank you for sharing, I am closing the door on you and thinking of something I love."

Keeping your focus on what you want and as you continue with the program and practicing the habbits Boon talked about, it will get better.
My Peace

Thank you guys so much for your comfort. I need to stop the dog from chasing his tail as I like to say. Both your words are of great comfort to me, and an great reminder that I am not alone.
Thank you for the peace.
Emilie

I can tottaly relate!
I too have the same thoughts. I always have (for the past 2 years)
My prblem is that I feel that when I have them I need to tell My mom or Michael( my bf) what they are and tehn when they reassure me, I feel better, until the next time I do this again.
Can anyone relate?
I do not have OCD, I just have this bad habit that I've created.
I could never hurt anyone but I can scare myself to tears with this.
I am now doing this all on my own this time and I think this is why they keep popping up now. They go away and I'll be perfectly fine, then Bam! some news story or something makes me feak out.
I knwo I've overcome this before and that I need to be positive but it's very discouraging when it comes back again.
Can anyone relate to this? When I say this I mean the whole reassurance thing/
I am going to overcome this, I know it I just have to really work at it!
Any advice woudl be great!
Thanks