Ghost OCD

[Bookishbunny]

I wrote a post earlier this week as a reply for someone else who was struggling with this, but in doing so I triggered my own OCD. I keep checking knowing nothing is there but my mind is in overdrive. This morning made things worse when I awoke to the sensation someone grabbed my foot. My dad wakes me up this way but when I saw that was alone the panic began. Now an hour from bed and I can’t get myself to calm down. I’m so embarrassed as an adult woman that I’m dealing with this.

[Bookishbunny]

Edit: I need advice please anything will help

[MothFir]

"in doing so I triggered my own OCD"

Try to remember that this is what's going on. When the anxiety shows up, label it as OCD and don't engage with the content. Don't keep replaying this morning's incident in an attempt to figure out what happened. You have likely been through tough episodes like this before, and you survived them well enough to feel confident and write encouragement to fellow sufferers. You'll survive this episode too and the anxiety will pass. Just hang in there and try not to ruminate as best you can.

I have not had the "ghost theme" before but my current one centers around rabies and the fear that I will be bitten or scratched by a rabid animal and not know it until I'm dying of the disease. At its worst it has made me notice (or imagine?) all sorts of sensations I never noticed before. Prickles on my skin, things brushing against me, muscle twitches, etc., all of which my OCD tells me are contacts with rabid animals. Sometimes I have felt such things, assumed they were really caused by a backpack strap or blade of grass or whatever, and then when I checked there was nothing there. The OCD has a field day with those incidents because they remain mysteries and I'm left to imagine that there really was an animal that got me and then disappeared. Of course this happens frequently and so many incidents could not possibly be caused by attacking, disappearing animals. There are just a lot of unexplained events out there, and when our OCD homes in on a certain topic we notice everything we can possibly attribute to that topic. When you start having unmistakable interactions with apparitions, then you can attribute your fears to ghosts. Until then, it's just OCD trying to mess with you.

[Against_the_current]

I'm so sorry. Remember it's just ocd, nothing is really there. I promise

[Mcfly64]

It is ocd bullying you again. Don’t let that horrible disgusting bully win. When you feel like this just remember “ there he is again the bully trying to be the boss of me”

[Hidden]

So sorry,Bookishbunny. Go for a walk and leave your phone at home. ❤️❤️❤️