Coincidences everywhere

[thismightbezach]

Does anyone else ever worry about having some sort of illness or disease and then start seeing it everywhere like on television or in a movie, etc??? I feel like it's some sort of sign. :weep:

[MyNameIsTerry]

I'm just logging off now, I'll post again later. But have a look at TomT and gatsby12 on the OCD board. They have coincidence as part of their OCD. Some of us discussed theirs and the replies might help you to rationalise this.

[glassgirlw]

Yep. Happened to me all the time. I think it's a trademark HA thing. Now I just don't pay attention to it, because I'm still here even after all the coincidences ☺️ It's just about retraining your brain!

[ocdbaking]

It's not a sign. You have a concern on your mind, so you notice it everywhere. It's like when my mum died last year - everything I watched seemed to involve a death, and every advert was for funeral plans! It drove me mad! But I knew it was because I was thinking about what had happened (or trying to ignore it, if I'm honest), so I noticed it more.

I used to be obsessed with the idea that I was going to have stroke a few years ago - guess what all the adverts and magazine articles seemed to be about around that time. You guessed it.

In short - it's not a coincidence. It's not a sign.

[MyNameIsTerry]

It's not a sign. You have a concern on your mind, so you notice it everywhere. It's like when my mum died last year - everything I watched seemed to involve a death, and every advert was for funeral plans! It drove me mad! But I knew it was because I was thinking about what had happened (or trying to ignore it, if I'm honest), so I noticed it more.

I used to be obsessed with the idea that I was going to have stroke a few years ago - guess what all the adverts and magazine articles seemed to be about around that time. You guessed it.

In short - it's not a coincidence. It's not a sign.

Yep, known as Frequency Illusion.

[Brian_VA]

Yup all the time

[Clydesdale Epona]

I've had a similar experience with both illnesses and many other things, i feel like everything is the same but when you start worrying or notice something you start to pay attention to it everywhere else, whether it's down to noticing it or pure coincidence i can assure you it's not a sign, "the sign" is a thing i'm always fixating on, "maybe if my morning is going this bad i shouldn't go to work because it's a sign" along with fearing that if i ignore one of my usual pains just once it will actually be something dangerous, it's annoying and rather bugging but unreliable and not a trusted theory x

[Sphincterclench]

Terry nailed it with Frequency illusion

bought a new car, now everywhere I look I see them. (huge step for me actually doing something that requires a future)

[Mel_82]

Haha yes - I developed some HA in regards to heart problems - just so happens that February is heart health month so everywhere there's commercials, radio ads, magazine articles, news articles and banners.

It's probably because when we have HA we're super in tuned and paying attention.

[thismightbezach]

I'm just logging off now, I'll post again later. But have a look at TomT and gatsby12 on the OCD board. They have coincidence as part of their OCD. Some of us discussed theirs and the replies might help you to rationalise this.

I'm going to look at the OCD board now and then read about frequency illusion. Thank you, everyone!

[Miznuvem0412]

Has happened to me and guess what I didn't have the disease :lac: anxiety is the devil

[MyNameIsTerry]

Terry nailed it with Frequency illusion

bought a new car, now everywhere I look I see them. (huge step for me actually doing something that requires a future)

I'm the same, SC. I spend time looking into a car and then see them everywhere. My GF has cursed me over it as it happens to her after I've mentioned it.

It's just how the mind works. We've given something importance and it knows to flag up possible associations.

Many times I've been walking and a streetlight has gone off. Then it comes back on as I walk away. It happens again. The anxious mind start looking for worries and you forget it's not one man watching you on CCTV at the elec company having a laugh trying to make you paranoid. It's many possible things, or few, but we start to notice.

I've beaten my intrusive thoughts twice now. But I can pick up on them much easier than before I experienced them. They no longer bother me but it's like I wasn't aware before. It's a bit like that with coincidences.

[swajj]

Yes me too. When I was worried about having breast cancer it seemed like every well known female in the world had it.