Trev

Yeah I may well do the same. I find that the brain plays tricks by suggesting something may have happened (i.e. did I pay someone without me remembering? Did I make a mistake whilst making a payment or transferring money?) Then I think better safe than sorry and check for evidence this has or hasn't happened.

Yes totally agree. I find it's worse when I'm bored or irritable. I'm seriously thinking about anti depressants to take the edge off but maybe this is a sticking plaster, not sure

How do I stop doing the compulsions? Is it just a case of sitting on the horrible doubt and anxiety until it subsides? I get that compulsions lead to more uncertainty, doubt and checking behaviour.

Yes I have carried on regardless but it completely fatigued me yesterday and I feel like I have some sort of a mental hangover today but not as mithered. Ive referred myself into CBT again last week and have been accepted for step 3 CBT. The only issue is it's a limited resource and I have to wait 3 to 6 months!! Maybe the only way I can cope with a wait like that is to go on medication? Suck of feeling this way.

The person didn't actually ask me for any money at this point but it may have gotten to that point if the conversation has carried on but I still half believe I've got scammed and paid out money!!

I recently was on a general chat site to pass some time and received a crude message basically asking if I was into findom. After asking what this was and the person explaining it was financial domination I quickly ended the chat conversation, or at least I think I remember I did! This has triggered me into thinking I may have paid out money even though there is no evidence to say I have done this. I can't seem to stop ruminating over this, whether I have or haven't paid out money to a scammer. It sounds really stupid but I keep replaying the text conversation in my mind. I've checked my emails and bank account but nothing there. Why can't I dismiss this thought?

Hi all, I recently was on a general chat site to pass some time and received a crude message basically asking if I was into findom. After asking what this was and the person explaining it was financial domination I quickly ended the chat conversation. Problem solved you would think? However I suffer with OCD (especially over money and finances) and this has triggered me into thinking I may have paid out money even though there is no evidence to say I have done this. I can't seem to stop ruminating over this, whether I have or haven't paid out money to a scammer. It sounds really stupid but I keep replaying the text conversation in my mind. I've checked my emails and bank account but nothing there. Why can't I dismiss this thought?

Thanks for the advice I appreciate it. Think the experts call the process an 'impossible criterion' trying to remember something that hasn't happened. What also happens to me a LOT is doubting what I've just seen. Did I check that right or did I remember it right. The urge then to recheck is almost irresistible

Is this classic OCD? I've been given a voucher for afternoon tea for two. I went onto the company website to book went through to payment details but it asked me to secure the booking by putting in my debit card details and didn't have the option for voucher codes. I then clicked back and went back to the company home screen. I then had doubts, what if I put my debit card details in and have paid? Then comes the urge to check my bank account app to see if any payment has gone out and my emails to see if I've received a payment receipt. I am resisting physical checking but going over it in my head to remember whether I did this until I said to myself I'm ruminating and have stopped. This happens a lot to me even more so now I've discontinued anti depressant meds.

It really is a WTF moment when one minute I'm just looking at my bank account online casually reviewing how much I've spent over the weekend and then the next minute I just get all these thoughts of 'what if I've made a mistake and accidentally paid somebody money?'. Then the anxiety is sooo high and the doubt is sooo strong the next thought is I need to check this because it's better to be safe than sorry. I haven't checked and the anxiety has subsided yet the doubt remains. It's just horrible.

That's a fair point. It's the level and extent of the checking not that a person checks. I know my checking is excessive and I need to reduce this especially around money. Technology makes it so easy to check, payslips, banking apps at click of a button whereas it used to be harder to get the information to check or less often. I know over the past 2 days I've done some serious over checking but I need to learn what needs checking once and what doesn't need checking at all. It's got distorted over time.

I'm going to try my hardest to ignore it and ride out the storm.

Yeah I'm checking because of uncertainty and doubt more than anything. If I didn't have these I probably wouldn't check you're right

I see losing money as danger so no wonder my anxiety rises but it's what I do to eliminate the anxiety that's got me into this pickle. I can't check everything and don't won't to but I remember the days when I didn't check anything much and I want to get back to that.

The urge comes every month when I get my electronic payslip. As soon as I see it I want to look at it and check my banking app to see if I've been paid right. I think I need to be mindful to check only once and that's it no matter how I feel afterwards. It's perfectly normal to want to neutralise the thought and anxiety but I know if I neutralise via checking the anxiety will go down but only temporarily then the thought returns. The longer this goes on the higher my anxiety will get. If I don't neutralise the anxiety will reduce on its own.