People with other forms of Anxiety also have safety behaviours - always sitting by the door, always carrying your mobile phone, carrying spare tranquillisers just in case, are good examples.

No. I am a critic, I laugh at myself. For instance, do you find it hard to tell someone that youre upset or angry because of something theyve said or done? If your OCD includes strong mental images you can take control by pretending you are filming the image - you can reduce the size of the worrying part (dog faeces for instance) or you can zoom in on something harmless at the edge of the picture such as a patch of grass. Those people who are very sensitive to caffeine would be best to give it up permanently. So, if you are afraid of spiders and you need to check each room for them, then you have a phobia. Filtering I had a bad day yesterday, Ill never get better. Crossing bridges. And yet other Anxiety sufferers have never experienced a panic attack, and never will. Your normal anxiety has got out of control and turned into an Anxiety Disorder. Dont give it the pleasure! Breakdown of first goal Since this person is very unfit, there is no way they are going to run even a mile the first time they go training, so they have to work out a series of mini-goals. What alternative explanation might there be for me having this thought? This is why it can sometimes seem that an Anxiety sufferer gets some benefit from their illness. Achievement: I have to do everything perfectly or else Im a failure. Acceptability: everyone has to be pleased with me or else Im not good enough. Trust: if I trust, I will be hurt. Control: if I ask for help Im weak or if I feel anxious Im losing control. OCD and core beliefs People with OCD often have core beliefs around perfection, responsibility and punishment that are linked together. It was a terrible event that made my anxiety much worse. Like many OCD sufferers I have an overwhelming fear of losing control. The Bully was ever present, turning my legs into jelly, causing my heart to race . However, how will loved ones cope with this change when theyve developed the habit of constantly giving in to your demands for reassurance? Dont think too much about the higher rungs - eventually they will come into sight and you will be able to tackle them. If your anxiety is in anyway focused on animals, dont undertake this, although you might want to set goals around it during your recovery. Other applications of CBT may be found in anxiety management or stress management courses.