What else gets your anxiety going?

[ObsessedButBlessed]

Most OCD sufferers have an element of generalized anxiety disorder or panic attacks that don't have to do with their obsessions. Mine is really situational. I panic if I have to drive in bad weather (snow or ice). If it's snowing the night before and I have to drive in to work the next day, I find myself waking up at 3am worrying about how bad the drive will be next morning. By the time I actually go in to work, I'm so tense and anxious, it's ridiculous. Then of course once I get to work, I'm fine and the panic subsides.

I also have this same problem with flying. I fear crashing, of course... and terrorists (still). Once we're on the ground, the anxiety goes away.

I still have yet to find a good way to deal with situational anxiety and panic. I have tried using ERP techniques (saying things like, if I get into an accident, everything will be ok), but it doesn't seem to work as one of my biggest fears/obsessions is death. If I find myself "thinking" about an accident where someone died, then I feel (OCD) it makes my chances of that happening to me more true than if I didn't think about. then of course I have to say a prayer because hey, in my OCD mind, if I don't pray about it and then it happens, it will be because I didn't say the prayer.

Any thoughts? Or maybe other anxieties that you deal with?

 

[keryakos]

Most OCD sufferers have an element of generalized anxiety disorder or panic attacks that don't have to do with their obsessions. Mine is really situational. I panic if I have to drive in bad weather (snow or ice). If it's snowing the night before and I have to drive in to work the next day, I find myself waking up at 3am worrying about how bad the drive will be next morning. By the time I actually go in to work, I'm so tense and anxious, it's ridiculous. Then of course once I get to work, I'm fine and the panic subsides.

I also have this same problem with flying. I fear crashing, of course... and terrorists (still). Once we're on the ground, the anxiety goes away.

I still have yet to find a good way to deal with situational anxiety and panic. I have tried using ERP techniques (saying things like, if I get into an accident, everything will be ok), but it doesn't seem to work as one of my biggest fears/obsessions is death. If I find myself "thinking" about an accident where someone died, then I feel (OCD) it makes my chances of that happening to me more true than if I didn't think about. then of course I have to say a prayer because hey, in my OCD mind, if I don't pray about it and then it happens, it will be because I didn't say the prayer.

Any thoughts? Or maybe other anxieties that you deal with?

Sad Hi ..mine is situational too including when i get into a serious argument with someone .

I know other people will disagree with me but self talk only works SOMETIMES to calm me down and sometimes to shift focus ..otherwise it does nothing for the fear and honestly it doesn't work so well because i have a problem lying to myself in that way ...it is a lie for me to say that i am going to be alright if i am in a threatining situation to say otherwise is denial and thats not good therapy in my book .

 

[dabro]

Well most of my anxieties are when I wake up from a bad dream... The dream has something to do with my obsession but does'nt cause me to ruminate at all. I just try to figt it the best I can and live in the moment. I find something that I like and think of that and it will snowball into joy but as for obsessions don't counter it with good thoughts bad idea.... let's see.. Ummmm well I think everybody gets anxious about driving on the interstate or flying I know I do...But it seem to provoke us more since we already deal with alot of feelings anyway... I would suggest getting anti anxiety medication for the times you need them... If you can fight it that's the healthiest way to combat it. I see the Doc tommorrow for that very issue. I don't obsesse I have anxiety Well I hope this helped you Sad....Peaces
... dabro.....

 

[ObsessedButBlessed]

Sad Hi ..mine is situational too including when i get into a serious argument with someone .

I know other people will disagree with me but self talk only works SOMETIMES to calm me down and sometimes to shift focus ..otherwise it does nothing for the fear and honestly it doesn't work so well because i have a problem lying to myself in that way ...it is a lie for me to say that i am going to be alright if i am in a threatining situation to say otherwise is denial and thats not good therapy in my book .

Yup I agree. Soothing self talk seems to work for driving in bad conditions. Flying? Not so much. Every time I try positive self talk i just think, Are you kidding - you're 11,000 ft in the air! I am sure a lot of this anxiety both with the driving and the flying come from being out of control of the situation. I know that statistically it's safer to fly than to drive, but statistically, you almost always die in a plane crash and at least on the ground in a car, you have a chance! That's how my mind sees it, anyway.

I also get anxious with confrontation. Even with strangers on the internet.

 

[kaykay9.0]

If I feel claustrophobic, I can get panicky. Even if the situation doesn't seem to warrant it. I have found that one thing that I can do to prevent this is to not let myself get too sleep deprived. If I do, I'm more likely to have one of these claustrophobic panic attacks.

 

[pjspara]

i must always sit near en exit .... on an outside seat .. in theaters, church, restaurants ,planes etc....at least if at all possible... or i get very panicky.... its better now, and kaykay is right... being sleep deprived makes it so much worse!! or if i have to go to doctors for tests or something, i will get anxious about it.... yeah for most of us, ocd isnt the only problem its my main one though...

 

[keryakos]

PJ i thought youre biggest problem was dealing with rowdy cowboys in youre saloon. lol

i agree with kay too ..sleep playes a major role in stamina

 

[RachelZ]

Hey Sad and others who've replied...yes I think I can get more generalised anxiety too and also free floating where I don't really know what I'm anxious about. I fear flying too...though as you say it's not the flying but the crashing that really gets me. A GP once offered me valium I think it was and then changed her mind and suggested having a drink instead. Wow, fancy getting that on prescription...LOL! I also have a phobia about spiders which can get me into a right state. I get very anxious if I think I've upset someone but that may be more OCD related. I think if I'm having to rush too much or have too many things on it can make the anxiety worse. However I have also found that sometimes there's no rhyme nor reason to it. Like things may not be going well yet I feel OK and yet another day it can be lovely and sunny and things are going OK but my feelings are not.

Hope that wasn't too rambly...take care and good idea for a thread Sad, Rachel