Increasingly intense health anxiety and somatic OCD

[ErraticAspie]

Increasingly struggling to cope with the above, with co-morbid Autism (Asperger’s Syndrome) and treated hypothyroidism. Massive worry at the moment is eye movement, I notice everything in my field of vision and move my eyes, cannot focus on a tv because of it. This then makes me anxious and become tense. I then do things like look out of the corner of my eye and then move my head to where my eye is looking, which scares me because I doubt whether I should simply turn my head orove my eyes, not do both. I then get scared about the possible damage that this could have caused me. I am basically aware that all this is nonsensical drivel, but I cannot control it when the anxiety starts. Not sure if CBT will work on me since I am wholly aware and am in fact poorly self CBTing as part of my adaptive coping strategy. For example, I get worried about looking out of my peripheral vision so I then make myself do this in order to demonstrate that there is nothing wrong or problematic with this. But this the starts the thought I don’t need to do this, and so stop myself. In a sense, the OCD in my case is a compulsion to demonstrate that all the anxieties I have are irrational. But this is itself compulsive! This is consuming my life at the moment.

[gajh]

I am sorry you are suffering. Do you have a therapist?

[ErraticAspie in reply to gajh]

no

[gajh in reply to ErraticAspie]

I find my therapist helpful. I am so glad you are here with us. It really helps to have someone to talk to.