Terrorfied I made a mistake!

[Rachy-Rach]

I'm panicing that I took the wrong patients in to see a doctor as I only checked their first name - I wasn't feeling well and no one told me what to do. I'm usually so careful. Things suggest that I didn't do anything wrong but I have been panicing about it for days! Worrying they will be given the wrong care because of me. My family are telling me to forget it as it's fine but I can't and can't sleep as a result. I'm so worried. Should I tell my manager at work - who will think I'm a psycho - but I could phone said patients and check they are ok determining that I didn't mix anything up? Or just leave it? I cannot sleep and am worried all the time but very unlikely I actually did anything wrong!

[Rennie1989]

You're a nurse, you know that the doctor would have double checked their name and reason for their visit. The patient would have said something if the doctor began talking about a condition or treatment plan that's not theirs.

I get little panics like this 'Am I sure I did this?' I often do managing shifts in the bookies and have to check and double check everybody entering my shop, sometimes my heart flutters when I see someone new, especially if they look underage. Just take a deep breath, check and check again what you're doing, if in doubt ask someone to check what you're doing. But try to believe in your own judgement, trust that you can do the right thing.

[Rachy-Rach]

No, doctors rarely check anything :-( Hence my concern... It's unlikely but this is me. I worry about everything I do - it's miserable :-( I'll certainly be checking and triple checking from now on but I'm worried about that occasion.

[teej]

My anxiety makes me forget stuff or double think things.

I just have taught myself now to slow down, and if I am panicking or anxious then I say under my breath (or sometimes out loud :wacko:) exactly what I'm doing - or even keep notes.

Part of my job is database administration, thus I have to be super careful. One click and boom!

It's taken me 10 years of practice but I recognise the signs of when I'm struggling and just slow myself down.

Perhaps chalk this one up to experience, I think it's really unlikely you got it wrong and that the patients wouldn't notice. I recall once going into the doctor and he had the wrong person's details up and we worked it out pretty quickly.

[Rachy-Rach]

Thank you

---------- Post added at 06:26 ---------- Previous post was at 06:26 ----------

I have the memory loss thing too :-(

---------- Post added at 06:28 ---------- Previous post was at 06:26 ----------

I have the memory loss thing too :-(

[Rennie1989]

Don't excessively check, that can develop into OCD traits, which is what I have. Check once, maybe twice, and try to learn to trust yourself. Try something called the OCD experience, check something ONCE then monitor your anxiety levels over a period of time (mine was over 5 hours, the sheet my therapist had was over 2!!) and see the anxiety levels drop. It's not a pleasant experience but it's worth having the knowledge that eventually the anxiety will go and it trains you to trust yourself.

CBT might be a benefit to you for this as well.

[Rachy-Rach]

Did CBT - no help at all to me!

I'm not anxious at work but it grows and grows once I'm home. I'm still worrying about this and it happened almost a week ago :-( Was crying yesterday.

Won't make those mistakes again. It's been 5 years and I still don't trust myself :-(

[Rennie1989]

I still recommend giving the OCD experiment a go in any case.

[teej]

I make sure I check once but slowly. I don't think I've ever suffered OCD though.

[Rennie1989]

My therapist said it is an OCD trait (not full blown OCD) to feel the need to check again and again, despite full well knowing you've checked and known it's fine.

[teej]

I think my problem was that until I started practising the mindfulness I walked around in a fog - my mind was million miles away from what I was actually doing so I'd do something automatically like lock the front door and then forget I'd done it. :wacko:

[jcd_gad]

Hi,

You're like me, I do exactly that, worry about what if scenarios.... My CBT therapist gave me a good negative to positive worksheet. I also use the words of the serenity prayer to help....

---------- Post added at 15:54 ---------- Previous post was at 15:53 ----------

Hi teej,

You ever read that book the power of now??? I also go to a meditation group too.

[Rachy-Rach]

Hi,

thank you so much for replying!

I can't tell you how much I am STILL freaking out about this. And yes, I am all about the "what if" scenarios. I drive myself and those closest to me mad with them! The more I think about the other day the more I realise how unlikely it is that I did anything wrong yet I cannot stop freaking the hell out about it :-( I am just as worried now as I was almost a week ago...

[Rennie1989]

If something went wrong you would have known about it by now. If you've heard nothing then everything is fine, no harm done.

[teej]

You ever read that book the power of now??? I also go to a meditation group too.

No, but I've found it on Amazon and will get it for my Kindle. Thank you!