The only situations Ive ever really avoided are medical things. Checking light switches/power sockets are off, doors are closed and locked, etc. It was like I was almost out of my body.

After a month I could listen to the whole tape without phoning him. You can expect the doctor to listen to what you have to say, and ask you a few questions. The Black Hole of Anxiety The black hole of anxiety For most people, anxiety seems to come from nowhere and hit them like a sledgehammer. Also, with certain types of Anxiety, worry about not sleeping itself becomes part of the problem. Scientists tell us that the experience of love releases chemicals called endorphins that make us feel good and block pain. Dont deliberately wind yourself up to anger. When you are talking to yourself in new ways, or creating counters, challenges and affirmations, remember the following guidelines: Use the first person - use the word I. Heres an example for someone with OCD around causing harm to others. Aim to breathe in and out about eight times a minute - you might find this difficult at first, but persevere. You need to weigh up whether they are helping against the disadvantages. Core beliefs Core beliefs are formed in the earliest part of your life and they relate to three things: judgements about yourself judgements about other people judgements about the world. Someone with OCD with rituals, whether physical or mental, is doing that pretty well all the time. What is bad about the scene? You will need to set separate goals for each category, and construct an exposure ladder of steps towards each goal. One answer is to pump adrenalin into your system - not a good idea for someone with Anxiety. Phone someone you rarely talk to. Go camping in Spain. In many ways Anxiety takes us back to childhood, and anxious fears often have the same irrational nightmarish quality of childhood fears. Natural environment type (those involving physical situations or natural phenomena, e.g. All Anxiety is driven by the thoughts that go round and round in your head, but with OCD there is an extra element because the thoughts link in to beliefs, usually about preventing harm.