Hi!
I just wanted to know if anyone else has these particular OCD symptoms, and what they did to ease the anxiety associated with it. What can you say to yourself or do to stop the "checking" all the time. I've tried to reduce the checking, but I'm still having trouble leading a "normal" life. I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thanks! Does anyone on the forum live near Lancaster, PA? Just nosey!
Worried About Contaminating Things and Hitting People With My Car
Allow yourself to check twice a day. No more. When you get the urge to check more than that just say: I feel that urge to check but I am going to do something else now. I can check again at such and such a time. (You decide the times you will check.) Then keep busy with your day. (Also, when you feel the urge make that feeling OK. It's ok to feel the urge. So what if it's there. That doesn't mean you have to do anything with it. It will pass on its own. Your only job is to notice the feeling when it arises. Give it a funny name and welcome it. Fighting it will only make it stay longer.)
You will have anxiety and you will feel urges to check but do not check more than twice a day. Feel the anxiety. Remind yourself that it is ok to feel these feelings. You are doing something new in order to help yourself and it's understandable that you would feel uncomfortable.
"Comfort is not your goal. Living is." YOU WANT TO START LIVING AGAIN AND YOU WILL HAVE TO FEEL SOME DISCOMFORT WHILE YOU ARE EXPOSING. It's OK. It is temporary discomfort. Checking all the time is continuous discomfort. It won't end until you finally stop it.
Journal your feelings while you are doing this. Soon you will see that you don't have to even check at your designated times.
You will have anxiety and you will feel urges to check but do not check more than twice a day. Feel the anxiety. Remind yourself that it is ok to feel these feelings. You are doing something new in order to help yourself and it's understandable that you would feel uncomfortable.
"Comfort is not your goal. Living is." YOU WANT TO START LIVING AGAIN AND YOU WILL HAVE TO FEEL SOME DISCOMFORT WHILE YOU ARE EXPOSING. It's OK. It is temporary discomfort. Checking all the time is continuous discomfort. It won't end until you finally stop it.
Journal your feelings while you are doing this. Soon you will see that you don't have to even check at your designated times.
"Life is not about comfort. It is about living." Dr. Howard Liebgold
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Guest
Always Worried,
I can remember a time in my life that I was terrified I had hit someone with my vehicle, yet, I knew that I didn't.
My children were small, and I drove them to school quite often. I can remember letting them out of my vehicle, turning around with every intention of leaving, but, I would be sooo scared that I had run over some child, that I would turn back around go check again...Actually, get out of my vehicle to check to see if I had hit anyone...I know how stressful this can be...I hated doubting myself in this manner.
I also would check and re-check my coffee-maker before I retired for the night. Not only my coffee-maker, but, also the doors to make sure they were all locked, double-check the fish aquarium to make sure the light had been turned off on it...Double check to make sure I had deleted all calls from the previous day...That is all I did..was check and recheck...
One day I made a conscious decision to stop doubting myself soooo much. I said, "God I am going to trust you on everything which I didn't double-check...I just began trusting God, and stopped re-checking!!!
If you believe in God, then, it is pretty simple to overcome this disorder. Just trust Him to take care of all these things for you.
You just need to stop doubting yourself. Say in a firm tone..I know that I have already checked that, and I am going to trust myself this one time. Go on about your day or night making sure not to re-check..
Continue practicing this and one day you will forget to double-check, and you will not even realize it..
This is exactly how I stopped my re-checking patterns...It takes some faith, but, you can do it....I pray this helped you...God Bless
I can remember a time in my life that I was terrified I had hit someone with my vehicle, yet, I knew that I didn't.
My children were small, and I drove them to school quite often. I can remember letting them out of my vehicle, turning around with every intention of leaving, but, I would be sooo scared that I had run over some child, that I would turn back around go check again...Actually, get out of my vehicle to check to see if I had hit anyone...I know how stressful this can be...I hated doubting myself in this manner.
I also would check and re-check my coffee-maker before I retired for the night. Not only my coffee-maker, but, also the doors to make sure they were all locked, double-check the fish aquarium to make sure the light had been turned off on it...Double check to make sure I had deleted all calls from the previous day...That is all I did..was check and recheck...
One day I made a conscious decision to stop doubting myself soooo much. I said, "God I am going to trust you on everything which I didn't double-check...I just began trusting God, and stopped re-checking!!!
If you believe in God, then, it is pretty simple to overcome this disorder. Just trust Him to take care of all these things for you.
You just need to stop doubting yourself. Say in a firm tone..I know that I have already checked that, and I am going to trust myself this one time. Go on about your day or night making sure not to re-check..
Continue practicing this and one day you will forget to double-check, and you will not even realize it..
This is exactly how I stopped my re-checking patterns...It takes some faith, but, you can do it....I pray this helped you...God Bless