How do you de-sensitise?

[Loggie05]

Fear of death is very interesting... it's not something I've experienced acutely, as you experience it. It's a major theme for poets and artists, so it's a seriously widespread fear.

Why does it seem better to you to imagine that there is life after death?
What exactly is scary about nothingness?

I'm not too sure myself to be honest. It's a big minefield this anxiety palava. I'm not sure if it's the thought my kids would need me? Or the thought of them crying for me and I'm not there? X

[lior]

Aww. These are fears. What can you do to deal with these fears?

It's really interesting that you're not thinking about an end to yourself with death - you're not thinking about an end (correct me if I'm wrong) - you're thinking about disadvantaging and causing pain in others. It's quite unselfish. Kind of beautiful... but not when it's not helping you enjoy living in the now.

You can be there for your kids in the now. That's all you can do, each day

Hope you're having a good week x

[au Lait]

In terms of desensitizing, it typically involves refusing to do the compulsive behavior. So for an example if someone with OCD is obsessively checking then they must refrain from checking repeatedly, no matter how uncomfortable that makes them.

Acknowledge the anxiety but refuse to engage in it. Sit with it. Allow yourself to feel anxious until it passes on its own.

So in your case you have to actively stop sniffing obsessively. If you smell smoke and feel anxious, let yourself feel that way, but don’t start sniffing around. You know that it’s just HA making you worry that it’s a sign of some underlying medical concern. You don’t need to engage it. Engaging with the anxiety strengthens its hold on the mind. It validates the anxiety and makes the urge to give in to it stronger the next time.