My counselor says this is my anxiety in a changed form but it would help to know that someone can relate.

I totally get what you're going through. I have had so many of those "what if" scenarios. Thats a lot of what OCD is. When I am feeling stressed or any other time my OCD is acting up, one of my biggest anxieties is that I am going crazy. Sometimes when I get worried, I stop and listen just in case I am hearing voices and just didn't notice. Its ridiculous. I think it is just my OCD trying to find something else to bug me about. I also watch my drink in public places...probably a good idea in some crowds. I have also felt paranoid at work, but again it feels as if it is my OCD testing me, as if it is saying "does this bother you? No? Then how about this?" The only way I have found to combat it is to take away the fuel my OCD is trying to use. That is to say, when I wonder if I am crazy, I say fine I am crazy, I accept. If I think I am seeing things out of the corner of my eye, then fine I am seeing things. I have come to the point that I know it is just my OCD. When I accept my thoughts and feelings, remember that it is just the mental noise that goes on in my head beacause of the OCD, then I am able to accept and move on. I had a counselor one time tell me that the really crazy people don't know or even care that they are crazy.
You also have my absolute sympathy with this. OCD and anxiety is sooo hard to deal with. I think it is great you are seeing a counselor. Medication can also make this easier, and exercise can also be incredibly helpful.
Hang in there :)

What a relief to know! It is so sneaky! It changes everytime I get a handle of one thing it finds another! I'll just have to battle with this one too! Thanks for the support. Glad to know I am not in the same boat and that you are doing well.

Yesterday I saw a relative of mine get really angry almost threatening toward someone and I started thinking..what if he looses it and kills me and my whole family? or what if he has poisoned us? It's so hard because when I look for the classic things about anxiety and OCD it says nothing about fears of others harming you. Then that makes me feel like I am going mad. Part of me just tells myself I am just catastrophising everything and the other half says nope you are a paranoid schizophrenic. It sucks.

I think it is a situation in which we all think about.. well then again I also have OCD but never thought of this as part of it...Anyway, I think the key is that you have some logical reason to think that... they guy was sketchy. I would be different if you were obsessing about every person and unrelated areas. Like a little old lady asking you to help her with something and then you conspire that she is going to harm you in some way. But I think that also have a way of protecting ourselves and have "alerts" cross out minds when there is a person that could be harmful to us. It is a fine line but I caution that you don't obsess about what you should and should not obsess about. It may have been a "normal" reaction to an unsavory character. I also woudl watch my drink if I was at a party, bar... it's not impossible that someone would put something in your drink. That has happened, even to a person I know. I think the key is how you handle the thoughts. If you end up in a panic or begin to change your life to avoid situations, then there may be more OCD to it. But if it just alerts you to be cautious then maybe that is a good thing.

Hi Ksavage5,
havent seen you on in a while...I just read your post and I can tell you I have had the same thoughts even about family members and they didnt even look sketchy or do anything wrong:) hows that for crazy?? Anyway Its OCD again--When you have these thoughts you will notice that the worst fear about these thoughts is the fact that your having them. for example; you may not really be afraid of someone poisoning your drink the real fear is..Why am I thinking about someone poisoning my drink?"Am I going crazy??" For people with serious mental illness they dont question this they are doing there best to convince others to believe that someone is poisoning their drink and get upset if you dont believe them..see the the difference?..See the issue here is that you are trying to convince YOURSELF not to pay attention to the thought. Hang in there and know you are not alone..Especially, When I think I take the crown for the most creative brain ever!!! take care

its just anixety or paranoia with a small p as my physcologiest says. i get thoughts that i will harm others or others will harm me. ts basically just going from 1 fear to another. then that makes you think youve got another mental disorder. if your aware that your paranoia is abit ludicris then you dont have schizophrenia. dont worry to much about it. just anxiety/paranoia

Thanks a bunch for all your support!

hi i wanted to ask for help i have a serve anxiety disorder and I deal with the physical symptoms that i can't control tjat scares everyday because they never go away and because of this im catious of every breath i take and I wanted to know is this a form of sensorimotor cos and if so what is the best treatment for it please i could really use some help im ready to get my body back to working the right way

I relate to that. I think its just a compulsive thought. Sometimes I feel like my mind is sabotaging me. it automatically goes to the worst possible scenario, like I have to think it before it happens or something.

I think many people do this.. many “normal” people. It is a good thing to be aware of your surroundings but there is such thing as taking it too far which maybe you have. It is always better to be safe than sorry tho. What if you didnt see this man as a threat and what if he did go get a gun from his truck and shoot your counselor? Then what would you do? So sometimes its ok to think ahead incase those things happen. Perhaps talk to the counselor or mental health dr about ot tho incase ur taking it too far. I kno I talk in circles and dont make too much sense.. one of my problems. Gd luck.
Also there is a CRISIS TEXT # incase you need it. I think the fact that they offer support by text is awesome!!
741741