It Took Coronavirus for Me to Realize I Had OCD

In the past several weeks, I’ve learned that many of the “thoughts” I was having were actually mental compulsions. I — like many others — had always associated the disorder with compulsive behaviors like washing one’s hands, counting floor tiles, or checking to see if a door was locked. But for those with Pure OCD or Pure O (nicknames for a subset of the disorder that don’t present physical behaviors), compulsions may be “rumination, mental reviewing, avoidance, reassurance seeking, or compulsive checking,” explains Chrissie Hodges, a mental health advocate and author Pure OCD: The Invisible Side of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. The way I reviewed situations to determine how I felt or recall what I did, the way I asked loved ones for definite, concrete answers, and my obsessive internet research were all anxiety-reducing behaviors. Like someone who feels the need to wash their hands in order to feel clean, I needed to do these things in order to quell my worries.

How to Stay Optimistic When Everything Seems Wrong

With the endless stream of urgent news pushing the boundaries of our mental health, it seems laughable to suggest optimism right now. Maybe you’re worried about losing your job, losing your home or losing a loved one. Maybe you already have. Maybe you’re worried about your own health, and maybe you feel helpless or doomed. Whatever it is, optimism feels like a luxury that few of us can afford.

Is My Chest Tightness Anxiety or the Coronavirus?

One common symptom of COVID-19 is chest tightness and shortness of breath. As it happens, chest tightness and shortness of breath are also common symptoms of anxiety. So last week, when my chest felt tight for three days and I monitored my breath so closely that breathing started to feel unnatural, I worried, and worried some more.

How to Cope with Anxiety about COVID-19

It’s terrifying to learn that an illness such as coronavirus (COVID-19) is spreading across the globe. The early stages of a pandemic can be especially anxiety-provoking. During this time, you don’t know how widespread or deadly the illness is going to end up being. Feelings of fear, anxiety, sadness, and uncertainty are normal during a pandemic. Fortunately, being proactive about your mental health can help to keep both your mind and body stronger.

AnxietyLibby MarlerMarch 23, 2020The Counseling Collective COVID-19, anxiety, anxious thoughts, panic attack, reducing panicComment

Recognizing a Panic Attack

A panic attack is an intense wave of fear characterized by its unexpectedness and debilitating, immobilizing intensity. Panic attacks can feel different for everyone, and largely depend on your personal experience. These attacks are quite common, and in the United States alone affect more than 40 million people.

AnxietyJulie AyalaFebruary 11, 2020The Counseling Collectivepanic, panic disorder, panic attack, reducing panicComment

Understanding and Overcoming Perfectionism

At its core, perfectionism is striving to attain unrealistic standards based on a sense of self-worth that hinges on the expectations of others. Perfectionism is ultimately rooted in fear. Fear of rejection, fear of being an imposter, fear of getting it wrong, fear of someone seeing the real you, fear of being judged, fear of not knowing the answer, fear of failing, fear of effort, fear of it being too hard or too much. While the connection between perfectionism and anxiety is complex, perfectionism is often a sign of an underlying anxiety issue.

Anxiety: Understanding the Vicious Cycle

One of the first steps in learning how to cope with and heal from anxiety is identifying the cycle of anxiety that takes place in your day to day life. Understanding the anxiety cycle will help to identify the various triggers of your anxiety, recognize the unhealthy coping patterns you have developed in order to avoid feeling anxious, realize that avoiding the triggers to your anxiety may provide temporary relief, and remember that short-term relief doesn’t lead to long-term growth. Identifying how your own experience specifically fits into the cycle is one of the first steps to experiencing freedom from anxiety!

10 Ways to Relieve Panic Symptoms

When you struggle with panic, your life becomes full of fear, worried about avoiding anything that might induce another panic attach, maybe even restricting your involvement in some activities. The good news is that panic attacks response very well to counseling treatment, reach out to The Counseling Collective to learn more about our counseling process.

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