Jump to content

Need some inspiration


Recommended Posts

Sorry to be back again and posting for some support. I have been reading responses to various posts and it has helped at times to see that with work changes can be made. However I am still finding it a struggle. I can see the patterns and have realised when I should hold back from making decisions, but still feel certain things and keep going over things. At the moment I am due for a volunteer session this weekend. I keep having the urge to cancel and quit volunteering. I keep questioning my ability to do the role. I watch how others interact and try to work out if I am as able as them. It seems whenever I see other people in person or even watching tv I compare myself to them. I question my ability to interact. I imagine volunteering and being paired with a child and not being able to support them. That I won't know what to say or do. 

I keep thinking if I pull out then the anxiety will go, but I also know if I pull out my mood will be affected more than it already has. I am trying to tell myself I need to challenge my beliefs. To face the situation. I am just fed up. I don't know how I can face this daily. Going back and fourth between wanting to pull out or deciding to stay with it. 

I hate that every time I interact with someone or see people (various forms) it makes me question my ability. Someone said to me "its better to do something and feel anxious/low than do nothing and feel anxious/low. I am trying to work with that thought, but it is a struggle.

Not sure if anyone has advice how to deal with a constant questioning of ones ability to interact with others.

 

Link to comment
15 hours ago, jamie2011 said:

and keep going over things

 

15 hours ago, jamie2011 said:

I keep questioning my ability to do the role. I watch how others interact and try to work out if I am as able as them. It seems whenever I see other people in person or even watching tv I compare myself to them. I question my ability to interact. I imagine volunteering and being paired with a child and not being able to support them. That I won't know what to say or do. 

Thats the OCD doubt.  And going over things, comparing yourself to everyone, imagining feared outcomes, thats all compulsions.  Recognize them for what they are, and in the case of compulsions, when you notice them stop doing them.  It takes effort at first but you'll get the hang of it.

 

15 hours ago, jamie2011 said:

I keep thinking if I pull out then the anxiety will go, but I also know if I pull out my mood will be affected more than it already has. I am trying to tell myself I need to challenge my beliefs. To face the situation. I am just fed up. I don't know how I can face this daily. Going back and fourth between wanting to pull out or deciding to stay with it. 

The anxiety about this particular situation might subside temporarily but the anxiety won't stop, you'll just transfer it to something else.  Challenging those doubts is exactly the right thing to do.  Make the choice not to pull out, then every time you feel the doubt creeping in, remind yourself thats just OCD and that you've made your choice.  Eventually if you keep doing that the doubt will fade.  No analyzing "is this the right thing" no comparing yourself to others as an absolute ideal.  Do your best, handle situations as they come.  You will probably make mistakes, we all do.  Literally no one is ever perfect.  OCD demands perfection but life does not.  You have to challenge not just the compulsion, not just doing the feared thing, but the thoughts your OCD is causing you to focus on.  "What if I make a mistake?"  What if you don't?  What if it goes well?  And if you make a mistake, so what? You deal with it then.  "What if its a really terrible mistake??" Same thing, you deal with it then.  You will always be able to imagine worse and worse and worse situations, humans are VERY good at that.  But if you avoid doing things because you can simply IMAGINE a possible bad outcome you'd never do anything.  I can imagine tons of possible bad outcomes that could happen to me or because of me on my way to work alone.  That doesn't mean any of them are absolutely going to come true, and that even if they do there was something i could have done to change it or that its my fault. We live in an uncertain world, all we can do is do our best and deal with what happens as it happens.

 

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...