OCD or Psychosis/Schizo?

[Floral8585]

Okay, this is going to be really long but I came across something online and it triggered me to get anxious and think something is wrong with me.

Okay, I need some insight. I have OCD so now I am overthinking if I experienced psychosis after my second son was born or if it was just an extreme anxiety moment.

So one day we were driving to my mom's just my son and I. He was probably around 3-5 months. I remember feeling tons of energy right before we left. As we were driving, everything was fine I was listening to music, then all of a sudden I remember like something intense either come out of the vents of the car or like this super strong smell. I can't exactly remember what it was (my son is almost 2 now)

So I tried telling myself it's fine. It did make me jump though when it happened, not sure what it was. But then my head started feeling really weird, almost felt like if I kept driving I was going to pass out. As I pulled over on the side of the road, it almost looked like mist was coming out of the vents or smoke or something. Not sure.

I called 911 though and got my son out of the car. I felt incredibly stupid when they checked the car and everything seemed fine. I know I had let the car run the air conditioner a long time before we left so there was condensation all over the windows when we got in too. I have no idea what happened.

Anyways, after this happened, it's almost like I was scared to drive again because I didn't want it to happen again. My husband drove the car after and he said it was fine.

But after that, I'm not sure if it was just anxiety of it happening again like a ptsd thing or if it was the other thing I'm worrying about but it almost felt like my head was doing it again in the car so I liked people to come with me when I went places so I could distract myself instead of concentrating on it.

I know one time in the drive thru after this, I think it was because I was focusing on it happening and how the car sounded loud, I got extremely anxious and my head started to feel weird again.

Do you think it's just intense anxiety? I am worried about psychosis and I don't mean to offend anyone who has it.

Other than this episode, I am fine. The only thing I really deal with is ocd, anxiety, and depression. Obviously overthinking stuff too.

I am fine driving now though. It took a while to pass. This was around the time of my period and I noticed that ever since I got a tubal litigation, around the time of my period I get headaches and depression/anxiety.

I don't get any other symptoms of psychosis or anything. I mean I get my weird thoughts with OCD and do ritual stuff to prevent myself from getting the thoughts. I have gotten a thought before like what if someone put a recorder somewhere or something to record our conversation but I know it sounds irrational. When we moved into my moms, I didn't want to talk about anything personal because I got a thought she could have but only because she is super nosy. That has always bugged me about her. Like if I were to accidentally leave my phone with at home when I left the house, I know she snoops. So I am hoping this is just a thought. I don't really believe she put a recorder or anything now but it's like a "what if" I wouldn't put it past her type of thing.

Then when someone spent the night at our house, I got this thought his mom could be recording our conversation. I knew it wasn't like true, but it bothers me I get "what if" thoughts like that. It makes me think of schizophrenia when I think back at it. I see people with it and I'm like yea that's not me.

But then my ocd is like "what if"

I got weird thoughts as a kid like when I was playing with my barbies thinking how someone could be controlling everyone and the way I play with my barbies. But obviously I didn't think it's true. I don't now either but it was a weird thought that bugs me.

Also, when I was a kid I remember going in my room listening to music and pretending other people were there and having a conversation. I didn't actually think they were there. I knew they weren't. It was more of an imagination.

Is that normal? I remember doing it as an adult too but as an imagination thing. I knew nobody was literally there.

[Hidden]

I have similar issues as you in some ways.

I have OCD, lots of anxiety.

I imagine that people are around me, and I talk to them, even though I know it is imaginary.

Lately, I have been getting thoughts that somebody from upstairs might be watching and

listening to me. It could be different people.

It was becoming very delusional, thus I started taking an anti-psychotic medication.

It has helped me with lessening of these type of thoughts.

[SpeakMyTruth]

I think looking for the certainty of whether it was or wasn’t ultimately will cause you a lot more suffering. I know the incident was very upsetting. But let’s say you figure it out. Does it change how you move forward? Following goals and values that are important to you? In the end, it happened, you’ve already move forward. I know this isn’t easy, but I’d suggest living with the uncertainty you may never know, and continue moving forward focusing on skill and tools that you know help along with the things that are important to you. And if something similar should happen again, you can cross that bridge if/when it happens. Best...

[OcDrEc0v3Ry]

Couple of thoughts...First of all I had the exact thing happen to my truck a long time ago. It was an old Ford F150 I think but one day my son and I were in it and smoke or steam or something just started coming through the air vents. I didn't panic I think I just thought well this can't be good and I think it also had a smell. I called my son's dad and told him I think this truck has bit the dust. I got a new car soon after. As for the paranoia about having paranoia ..you're basically saying if you HAD to think back and try to find any possible experiences that could possibly just maybe be symptoms like that of Schizophrenia that you could do it. Sounds to me like a fear or obsession, "what if I have schizophrenia?" and then with mental filtering and confirmation bias (cognitive distortions) you are therefore finding and recalling anything that could possibly even remotely mean that. We could all do that if we tried. Lastly, after reading that, I'm curious..... what does it matter? If the experiences you've mentioned (the ones that make you think of schizophrenia) haven't impaired your functioning or caused problems in your life, what would change or matter either way? We could pretend to give you a card that says "I have schizophrenia" on it and you could carry it around in your pocket or we could give you a blank card and either way what would change? Would it matter? I hope I don't sound confrontational, I'm really just sort of challenging you a little to question why worry about something if it's not a problem. It's a hypothesis or less than that even, its just a thought, "what if I have schizophrenia?"....just a thought...what would you rather be doing instead of thinking about whether or not you have schizophrenia? Go do that! Don't play anxiety's game, especially if only on the defensive. That's a losing strategy...Focus on whatever else you want to be doing and when this fear pops up just let it be there without giving it any more attention than maybe noticing it, "there's that thought again..back to what I was doing." But I liked your question and what a coincidence meet someone who's also experienced the car smoke/steam/mystery thing....it was weird for sure!.... I can see how one might wonder if it was a hallucination. I have OCD and anxiety too and luckily it didn't latch on to that one. Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!