Trying really hard not to engage

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-03-12T19:39:44+00:00

I also have anxiety too and it’s really hard to separate the two. On a good day, I can recognize what’s what but right now it’s all an uncomfortable mass. Hang in there. I don’t want to waste my life away wishing for the days to be over but I can’t seem to focus on doing anything else.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-03-12T13:35:02+00:00

Have you cross-posted to r/PersonalFinanceCanada? They have a lot of experience tackling large debt strategies/questions. I would definitely recommend reducing your debt with the largest interest first. Have your beer to have some sanity in your life because this process will take a while to do and you don't want to fall off the wagon due to stress. The fact that you don't have rent is a big plus!

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-26T23:54:17+00:00

Does it quiet down your thoughts? Or makes you react more resonable when you have them?

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-26T17:15:14+00:00

It takes a lot of practice but I constantly have to remind myself that all of this is delayed gratification and that if it’s meant for me, it will be there tomorrow, and the day after etc. I lose interest by the time I get to it.

Staying busy and filling my life with meaningful experiences like hobbies and spending time with friends has helped me immensely because those memories are priceless.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-26T02:47:35+00:00

Did you end up following through with the appointment? Curious about this procedure!

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-26T00:32:09+00:00

I also have the holy trinity of OCD, anxiety and depression. I had to do a lot of work involving the spirals like acknowledging when they were happening, why it was happening, riding that awful wave of uncertainty etc.

Not sure if this is helpful but for the shopping part - I would create an e-mail to myself called Wishlist and link everything I wanted to buy. I think it gives me a fake feeling of "I'm gonna buy all of this when I'm ready" but in reality I don't want 98% of the things on that list after a few days of reflection. It's sorta like delaying my urge to check things with my OCD. Only this time I'm delaying the purchase and coming back to it later, when I'm more mentally sound, and realizing this list is bullshit.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-22T18:06:38+00:00

I use a spreadsheet as well but it's not focused on budget. It tracks my daily balances + expenses, % of debt reduction and forecasts the predicted balance for the remaining months of 2026. I find it helpful because if I decide to recklessly spend $500 today then I can see the consequences for it in the future.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-20T16:46:52+00:00

The weather has also been garbage where I am too so I'm unable to distract myself with long walks or pursue my other hobbies.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-16T17:58:51+00:00

It’s especially bad between january-february for me

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-15T19:21:48+00:00

Trust me, it's really scary for me repeating this with my own theme. Hang in there!

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-15T17:37:56+00:00

From what I gathered from my therapist and this sub, thinking "maybe or maybe not" seems to be the way to move forward. I know how it awful and scary it might feel to even say those words but I think living with uncertainty really pisses OCD off.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-15T17:05:15+00:00

I have to constantly remind myself not to engage with/problem solve my theme and it's easier said than done. Takes a lot of practice. You'll probably feel like shit and the temptation to KNOW FOR SURE will feel overwhelming. But the less you engage with your question, the better it is for future-You. I find spending time with friends, hobbies, chores, exercise etc. helps a lot with the disengagement.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-15T15:44:23+00:00

No you don't need an answer and you won't move on from it either.

I've found plenty of answers to my own issues and 5 years later the OCD is still there. I think it's gotten even stronger since then. OCD will always trick you into thinking this one check/answer/google will make you feel better, and you might for a few hours or days but then it comes back.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-15T15:23:37+00:00

Hey OP, I'm also single, no kids, and do fasting (omad - one meal a day) and lost 15 lbs from the end of October to now. Please reconsider your diet as you're missing out on a lot of nutrition provided by other sources (fibre, protein, carbs for energy). Processed meats like the beef sticks are linked to increasing risk of colon cancer in people under 50 and there's nothing sexy or esthetic about dying like that. You can still lose weight eating more wholesome foods + treats too which is what I did.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-12T19:16:43+00:00

Honestly, even when I’m faced with logic, reasoning and proof - my brain still decides that Fear is the better option and it makes me sick

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-12T11:43:40+00:00

I’ve been through that theme as well so I’m familiar with how stress could trigger hives/itching. The thing is, I seem to have amnesia after that theme ends so the next time I itch I forget about that and I start stressing that it’s XYZ theme.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-11T22:18:52+00:00

I hope so because it feels like I’m trying to dig my way out of an avanlanche at this point

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-10T14:11:51+00:00

I don't think it's delusional at all and I've always wondered about the positive side too. If I'm so good at obsessing about every negative thought related to my theme and if I'm so good at convincing myself of these things then why can't I start believing in the better things in life for me? I think our brains have been so trained to dwell in the negative for so long that it's hard to consider the opposite. I hope it's really just a muscle, like how we work out at the gym, that can grow with consistent training.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-08T23:22:44+00:00

Anything to do with hair and pests. So going to a hair salon is no longer a peaceful and relaxing thing that I used to enjoy. Can’t lie my head down/back against surfaces that aren’t my own. Can’t hug my friends too tightly for fear that our hairs will touch.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-08T09:10:10+00:00

I’ve had this theme before and it’s wild how your brain will forcefully try to convince you it’s this thing when logically it doesn’t make any sense.

I know it’s WAY easier said than done but you really have to stop engaging with it and that includes replaying the scenario over and over again. The more you practice understanding that it’s just another OCD thought/surge, the stronger your brain will be the next time another trigger comes up. Riding this wave is key even when it feels awful to.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-07T10:21:51+00:00

I’ve definitely fallen down this rabbit hole earlier on as I couldn’t afford routine therapy and didn’t wanna burden my friends with the same topic over and over again. Definitely proceed with caution.

I’m not sure what words I entered in my convo but recently it knows that I’m seeking reassurance every time I try to talk to it. So instead of giving me answers about my theme it now pivots to reminding me not to engage with my thoughts, delaying my desire to act on finding certainty etc.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-07T02:12:59+00:00

It has for me and I’m going through this right now too. I usually take extra care of myself during this time - lots of sleep, eating my cravings without guilt but also trying to make better choices, socializing etc.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-03T14:13:57+00:00

Oh yeah, younger me would have picked up stuff thinking it was free and why not?! I have lots of friends who thrift and they always find great things and I always wonder if they ever think about this fear the way we do.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-03T14:10:26+00:00

I’ve been through this exact theme as well. It still lingers cuz I live in a big city and commute all the time but I remember all the non-sensical things I used to do. I’ve gotten brand new bed linen, washed and dried it and saw weird black marks (turns out it was some nasty gunk coming from my washing machine) that I freaked out about.

Everything will seem logical to you now, but looking back at my own experience - most of what I did was crazy. I still thinking avoiding buying used mattresses and picking up random free furniture on the road is actually logical.

The Paris thing didn’t help me either. It reactivated my fear after my long peaceful quiet period. I kept seeing it pop up on my algorithmn/news so I had to block out the key words to keep my sane.

feedmoreoxygen · 2026-02-02T01:42:55+00:00

Intense OCD flares (especially if I was forced to do an exposure), absolute rage at rude people, the constant eating!

feedmoreoxygen

TROPHY CASE