Do you think of the worst possible outcome

[WhyWhyWhy]

Of everything?

If I'm being honest I'm looking for people to come forward and agree with me and admit they do it too.

I am a catastrophe thinker. I don't just think of what could happen, I blow things well out of proportion. The thing is it I keep it all to myself, I'm pretty sure if I didn't then people would just see me as a major drama queen.

For example- I go for a smear test, as I'm leaving I convince myself that this time they'll discover the cancer or something else sinister.
I got into a car with a friend who sat behind me, she didn't put her seatbelt on and I kinda convinced myself she was trying to kill me
My child plays in the garden with his friends and I convince myself someone will come snatch him and I check constantly that he is still there.

The thing is I'm really embarrassed about this, it all sounds pretty standard on these forums I know, but for instance the other day I convinced myself I wouldn't have long left, I was in tears, I was working out how my family would cope with out me, I was mentally planning my funeral

I know that this isn't 'normal' thinking but can anybody else relate??? I run with my thoughts and turn them into a huge big deal that all seems so real.

I have been diagnosed with OCD and anxiety and possibly PMDD. I'm on no medication as it scares the life out of me incase it makes me worse or gets me hooked.

I guess I'm really looking for reassurance that I'm not (for want of a better word) crazy

[Rachy-Rach]

I do this regarding work stuff. There's slim to no chance I mess up but I still worry I'll have seriously harmed someone in some way. Uncertainty is miserable

[WhyWhyWhy]

Thanks rach.

If I invite people over for dinner... I order out. I can't deal with the stress of thinking I've given them food poisoning. My fear of harming others is greater than the fear I'll hurt or harm myself. That's just another example I can think of. Uncertainty is too real for me. You could give me something that is 100% certain and I will still conjure something up that it's not gonna be. Does that even make any sense???

[HoneyLove]

This is a really common thing with people who suffer with anxiety! We do it all the time, it's what causes so much worry and stress.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a really good way of approaching irrational worries like this, it would be worth looking into it for yourself

[Rachy-Rach]

Perfect sense! I live in constant terror that I've done wrong. I've been panicing over the same thing for a week now :'( I don't know what to do. I've stopped crying but I've also stopped sleeping and my mum and husband can see it all over nothing but why can't I?

[WhyWhyWhy]

Honey love and rach I can't thank you enough for taking the time to reply to me. I think if this thread went unanswered I'd panic I was as crazy as I think I am

Someone I know has deleted their facebook.... Well guess what, I've linked that to me, I'm the reason for it, or the reason she's done it is because she knows something about me that I don't know and doesn't want to be the one to tell me. See, now writing that down makes me see that it's totally irrational however I'm still thinking it. Maybe I have a large ego thinking everything is about me??

---------- Post added at 13:58 ---------- Previous post was at 13:56 ----------

Perfect sense! I live in constant terror that I've done wrong. I've been panicing over the same thing for a week now :'( I don't know what to do. I've stopped crying but I've also stopped sleeping and my mum and husband can see it all over nothing but why can't I?

I wish I could give you some peace and make you feel better somehow. Hopefully seeing that you're not alone is going to bring you some peace or reason xx

[Frog]

CBT is definately something worth looking into.

[bigh123]

yep , i do this . For instance i worry if i take time off sick it will upset my boss , ill lose my job lose my house etc etc .

[WhyWhyWhy]

CBT is definately something worth looking into.

Interesting. Thankyou x

[Rachy-Rach]

I just had a meeting about work about how I keep thinking I did something wrong last week and that I've caused harm to someone. I feel so much better for it but at the same time it's so embarrassing! The lady was so lovely. Just said to forget about it as if I'd done something wrong she would know about it. She's going to tell my matron about it though so that she's able to offer me support at the lady I've been talking to is leaving in a couple of months. I've been in my job three weeks. I was fine but changing jobs has started everything off again :-( Still, I do feel better for talking to her. Why do we do this to ourselves?!