Hello

...everyone:).My name is Andrew,I'm 18 years old,and I suspect i have OCD(only mentally).

I can not contact any professional support for now so registering this forum is my last shot.The last 5 months were the strangest of my life.At first,I got obsessed with the fact that the Earth rotation will stop and this thoughts was impossible to erase untill 1 month ago(I still get this thought,but is not bothering me as much now).Then a fear of terrorist attacks got into my mind(fear of explosive cars,explosive clubs,in fact everytthing was blowing in my mind:))) ).But for one month a new fear got into my mind-fear of earthqukes.In fact,it's bothering me so much that it's interfering with my basic daily activities.

I don t know what to do next(I have exams in 2-3 months and it's extremely hard to concentrate).

Also,I've lost my joy for living,I cannot relax.It's HORRIBLE.

Please,I need an advice.Thanks for reading.Peace.



P.S.-I'm happy that suicidal thoughts cannot grasp my attention,that would be a problem ).

Andrew-

Please note this is not a professional recommendation. But I wonder if confronting what you fear head on would help you deal with it. (ok, ok it's a little difficult to simulate a sudden cessation of the earth's rotation, but that's just a detail to work out, heh heh). Earthquakes? Maybe not so hard- would an amusement park that shakes you up help your mind realize you can survive your fear? I dunno, but it might be worth a try.

Thanks for your interest in my story.I don't know,but the actual earthquake does not distrub me,but the fact that i can not know when it's going to happen and the potential disastrous nature of it gives me this awful state of mind.It's really affecting me,i cannot relax and simply enjoy life.
I wonder if I take some meds my anxiety will decrease.The annoying fact is that currently I'm in spring break so I cannot see proffesional help.

Hi, Andrew

I understand your irrational fears because I have them, too. The thing to remember is that, ultimately, we don't know everything that will happen in our lives. This can be scary, but exciting at the same time. Focusing on what may happen can be intense and overwhelming. That's why it helps (me) to remember that, in life, it's okay to not know everything because, what good would it do? If you knew an earthquake would happen tomorrow, what exactly would you do? Wouldn't it still affect everything you did up until that point? You would be super anxious until that point, right? I know I would! That's why I say that it's okay to not know everything. Life is an adventure, one filled with many ups and downs; the journey will have sunny days but also rainy ones. We just have to (try) embrace whatever happens.

I deal with ocd on a daily basis, and I totally understand irrational fears. I have many wonderful people in my life: family and friends. I am on an antidepressant for my anxiety, stemming from the ocd, and it does help. Originally, I hated the idea of even being on any type of medicine, but the people that are closest to me reminded me of this: people with heart conditions, diabetes, or any other type of medical issue that requires medicine, don't feel bad about it. Thus, why should I? There's a problem with the wiring in my brain, and that's what the medicine attempts to fix, so why should I feel bad? Honestly, I think I was more worried about what people would think about me because I take meds for ocd. But, again, I cannot worry about that! Worrying does no good, it only causes harm! Though I know this, I still have a daily struggle with worrying. I just try to remind myself that I'm okay. My faith in God also is the most helpful thing for me!

I hope this has helped, if only a little?

Take Care!

Thanks for your support,I try to cope mentally with these annoying thoughts,it's very hard.As soon as I can i'll contact professional help in order to return to a normal life.