I have ocd health anxiety, and I've found that researching on the internet was one of the hardest rituals to stop. Everytime I'd search, I'd get a brief bit of relief from the anxiety, but followed by even worse distress about what I'd find, which would make me keep searching hoping for something to relieve the distress, a vicious cycle. But seeing my doctor was also a ritual to reduce anxiety, that didn't last longer than one visit and I'd end up going back again. I'm slowly learning in through exposure/response prevention therapy to tolerate the anxiety of uncertainty--no human gets a definitive 100% certainty that they don't have a certain disease or that their doctor is 100% right. It also helps if I can be honest with my doctor that my anxiety is active, and that she doesn't make me feel ashamed that I have an anxiety disorder.
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I have ocd health anxiety, and I've found that researching on the internet was one of the hardest rituals to stop. Everytime I'd search, I'd get a brief bit of relief from the anxiety, but followed by even worse distress about what I'd find, which would make me keep searching hoping for something to relieve the distress, a vicious cycle. But seeing my doctor was also a ritual to reduce anxiety, that didn't last longer than one visit and I'd end up going back again. I'm slowly learning in through exposure/response prevention therapy to tolerate the anxiety of uncertainty--no human gets a definitive 100% certainty that they don't have a certain disease or that their doctor is 100% right. It also helps if I can be honest with my doctor that my anxiety is active, and that she doesn't make me feel ashamed that I have an anxiety disorder.
May 21, 2010 - 5:24amThis Comment
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