Thursday I got a flu shot and Friday there was a hot, swollen area about 3" across surrounding thesite. Dropped by the doctor's office to have the nurse take a look at it–she took a picture and messaged the doc but got no answer so sent me to urgent care. I was given prescriptions for Medrol dosepak to start immediately and antibiotic to start if the Medrol wasn't working after a day. I read the accompanying leafletand discovered that the Medrol could a) mask an infection and b) reduce your body's ability to fight the infection. So i decided tostart the antibioticas welland reduce the amount of the steroid (which wasn't likely to hurt, as I know from experience I'm very senstiive to it). I always have to second-guess the doctor. Anyway, things are looking and feelingbetter today, so something is working.
Today I went to the laundromat, always a challenge for my germophobia.After putting things in the washer I left to go to the store (had to buy antibacterial wipes for the folding table). I arrived back a couple of minutes after my washcycle finished, and somebody had already opened the door. My first thought was: did they handle my socks? I was tempted to wash them again but settled for 20 extra minutes in the dryer on high. Then I stopped for takeout, and when I got it home (less than 10 minutes) the little container of mayonnaise was hot! I didn't eat it, but it made me wonder about the general competence of the people in the kitchen, soI didn't even enjoy the chicken because I was so busy trying to decide whether it tasted "all right" (which is no guarantee, anyway) So here I sit, wondering what's going to get me first–the food poisoning or some skin infection from the socks. And how much extra cleaning do I need to do to make up for any possible contamination? I have tried all the logic I can muster, but my brain is still racing. When does it ever stop?
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"Nobody touched my socks and the chicken is fine" , now sing it to a well known tune and it will start to seem funny….. sorry you have had a rough week, sometimes its just one thing after another isnt it?
I agree with "Relax." Recite that sentance over and over while doing something like doing the dishes, knitting, vaccuming, something repetitive where you're hands and body are moving but you're reciting that sentance. My therapist tells me to do things like that a lot. For example, he tld me to find a poem or even a prayer to recite to myself during peak anxiety times or when I can't sleep. I thought it was dumb, but then I memorized two Irish poems, and I recite them in my head before bed and it does help to calm me down and de-rail my thinking pattern.
I agree, these are all stratergies on refocusing. Bringing something else to mind, visualize it and keep repeating it until it displaces the obcessive thoughts.
Thanks, everyone for your responses; they are giving me lots of methods to use to fight the OCD beast.[br][br] Rapunzel, yes, there is a lot of truth in what you say–we need to reach a point where we can let go of it. It will still require work, but it will at least be possible at that point. [br][br]Kateri, sometimes it does give it more ammunition (often, probably), but sometimes it is the only way I can calm down enough to cope. Often, if I can get myself down from the rabid anxiety, I can reassess the situation more rationally. It doesn't mean I'm not still anxious or fearful about whatever consequence I'm imagining, it just brings me back from "I know it's going to happen and it's going to be terrible" to "it might not happen or if it does, it might be easy to cope with".