OCD and cry

[Ariadnee]

Hello everyone and Merry Christmas! I hope you are safe and loved! Is there anyone out there that struggle with stress and melancholy during this period? I can't stop but cry many times during the day. I am so frustrated because of the pandemic, 2020 strated with me having dealt my OCD, but now I feel that I have to start all over again. I am afraid every day, I can't live this way anymore. I think that if I am not stressed, I am not protected. I feel unsafe, if I meet someone else, even though everyone has already got the 3rd booster shot. I have too and I regularly get tested. Please, help.

[sealonging]

I have been feeling stressed and a little melancholy the past few weeks, too. You're not alone there.

As to feeling unprotected if you don't feel stressed, I kind of understand that, too. Sometimes when my OCD anxiety starts to decrease and I begin to feel like I'm going back to normal, I can feel a little bit of extra background anxiety because the feeling of not being stressed feels so unfamiliar after feeling it so long. Is that kind of what you're talking about?

But I think this goes back to the core OCD issue of uncertainty. We can never be 100% certain that we're safe and protected. But we can know that to a reasonable extent, we are safe. It is safe to live with uncertainty. Everyone does. We never know what will happen on any day.

Obviously there's a bit of added stress because of the pandemic. We are in a higher state of risk because of that, but there are effective measures we can take to protect ourselves. If you have your vaccines and boosters, and are regularly wearing masks anytime you're in an area where you're sharing airspace with people where it can't easily circulate, then it's very unlikely that you'll get sick. But again, there's not 100% certainty of safety. And that's okay. That's part of growing and recovering when you have OCD, to learn to live with this uncertainty. I know it's so hard. But it's possible, and you can absolutely do it! You're not alone in this. We're all going through it in some variation.

[Ariadnee in reply to sealonging]

"because the feeling of not being stressed feels so unfamiliar after feeling it so long" this is exactly what I am going through.... I am so overwhelmed with what you said. It gives me hope! Thank you so much for your reply! I wish we would get rid of this feeling!

You are right, I have to learn to live with this uncertainty... Thank you so so so much!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

(Sorry for any mistakes, English is not my mother language)

[Autumn8910]

I am also stressed and usually feel melancolic and sometimes cry because of OCD. So yeah, whatever the theme is, the feelings are the same.

[Ariadnee in reply to Autumn8910]

Thank you so much! I feel much better now... I am sorry that you are stressed and melancholic..

[God-is-love3]

I was just having a similar conversation with my wife last night about the back and forth feelings of wanting to get away on vacation and the feelings of homesickness when you are on vacation or away from home. As a believer in Jesus and God, I believe our true home is in heaven that awaits us one day to those who believe in God and his Son Jesus who died to forgive us of all sin and give us the gift of eternal life. So if in our hearts we long for this eternal paradise, in this world we will have this background homesickness feeling at times and then also the feelings of wanting to get away on vacation because we seek this Kingdom of heaven.

But the good news is that when we pray and give our lives to Jesus Christ since he gave his life for us, then we will have a direct link to heaven through the Holy Spirit and will live our lives with purpose. We can overcome our fears daily by his great love and use his love to love others!

I don’t have it all figured out, which is what I think God wants because he wants us to live by faith!

So keep looking toward God and seek his Spirit daily because of what Jesus has done for us.

He is the hope of heaven and life conquering death and fear!

[Ariadnee]

Thank you for your kind words! I will pray! May God be with us all 🙏 This give me hope! You all give me so much hope and strength!!!