I am going to see an occupational therapist tomorrow. I have been told that I have early osteoarthritis. As you will probably know it is very painful. I struggled to get a bath this morning, and to put clothes on. It does make every day things harder. However, I also seem to suffer from anxiety. If I need to do something, rather than wait, I find myself doing them straight away. In away this helps me as I don't know how I am going to feel from day to day, to be able to cope with anything else. When I explained this to my doctor she replied -"so you are a perfectionist". However, I am far from that, but she did not understand.
To add to this last weekend I had my carpet cleaned professionally. It took a day to dry out, and now it has left a awful smell. This is upsetting me, as the smell lingers through the house. Stupid as it may seem I am now really worried over this.
Karen xxx
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karran12
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It sounds like you are focusing on the things that you can as you can't fix your health issues. So things around the house, your carpet they are things you can do something about Have your ever tried relaxation techniques and turning your focus into your breathing, taking deep calming breaths in and exhaling all the pent up emotions. It doesn't work for everybody but it can be very helpful. My daughter has OCD and I have watched her tidy a room beyond tidy just because there was something else annoying her, I have been with her throughout her treatment and she has a good handle on things now I just have to remind her to breathe, it sounds funny but it does really help if she starts to take a panic attack.
Next time your visit your doctor, tell her about it, tell her it is more than being a perfectionist. Keep going back if you have to. In the meantime try breathing and don't be too hard on yourself
I hope you find a way forward, a way that works for you
You sound so much like me, I have osteoarthritis in my hips, knees and hands and have been really struggling. I do cross stitch to try and help me relax and to stop my mind from going places that i don't want it to go. This is getting harder because of the pain in the base of my thumbs which i have had surgery for but it hasn't really helped matters greatly so i'm still having steroid injections. I had a stitching retreat to go to not the weekend just gone but the one beforehand and i got myself into such a state about the driving as it was in Newport Pagnell that i very nearly didn't go. I had mentioned to the ladies on Facebook and they were all supportive telling me i could do it and think of the hugs i would get when i got there. I got to Newbury and nearly turned back but pushed myself on by the time i reached the hotel i had got into so much of a state i thought i was going to pass out and was shaking so much (mainly because i was worried about not finding my way to the hotel as i know my way to Leicester as three of my sons have moved there and i grew up there) but i couldn't get the sat nav my daughter had lent me to work so was panicking i would get lost. When i entered the hotel i had 30 women some that i have never met and only chatted with on Facebook and some that i met at last years retreat all came over and hugged me and were so pleased to see me. I know if i hadn't made that trip i would have been so down on myself and i won best stitched piece so would have missed that. But for me i am better if i haven't planned things then i don't worry so if i woke up one morning and thought i would drive to my sons then that for me is better. Ironically because of where i live and how much i hate it here. After the retreat i went to my sons and then back home on the wednesday i drove down the M1 in tears for the first time in my life i didn't want to come back to my own home and bed. I really wish i hadn't bothered either because the upstairs people have got even noisier. :(.
I hope all is well with you or as well as it can be.
I don't know if this will help but a GP once said to me to think of an onion and it's layers. In each layer but a priority on each thing you are worrying about and place into a layer. If you cannot visualise it maybe draw the circles and use the centre to be the most important going out to least important. Then think of dealing with each layer on it's own rather thinking about everything at once and breaking things down into tiny step might help.
I probably guess your recent diagnosis and the increased pain you are experiencing. so addressing this first might be something to consider.
Here's some information from Arthritis Research UK about OA;
Please be aware that for people that are sensitive to medications, this may be something that should be avoided. Capasacin is made from Capiscum pepper and you should be careful when using avoiding eyes as it is similar to pepper spray.
This cream is only available on prescription so discussing whether it is appropriate for you would probably be for the best, as I am no Doctor and provided the information for your interest.
I can understand that you are worrying about things that need doing I am the same, but unfortunately we can only do what we can do with these conditions. If you can try to prioritise using the onion analogy and try to do maybe one thing each day and you'll soon see it is making a difference,
I like that onion analogy, and you explained it a lot better than I could but I use a similar way of getting my daughter to prioritise and not get herself into a panic as much
I am so sorry to read this, and I genuinely hope that your appointment goes really well for you tomorrow. I want to genuinely wish you all the best of luck.
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Have your ever tried relaxation techniques and turning your focus into your breathing, taking deep calming breaths in and exhaling all the pent up emotions. It doesn't work for everybody but it can be very helpful. My daughter has OCD and I have watched her tidy a room beyond tidy just because there was something else annoying her, I have been with her throughout her treatment and she has a good handle on things now 
vindictive neigbours................ help
Fit Bit
Yay seeing G.P at 11
My first rheumatology appointment
So fed up
