Hello everyone

@Alice62 Hello it’s really good to meet you. I’m sorry you are feeling anxious and that the OCD is flaring up. I have anxiety but not OCD.

I am not sure if you’ve tried any of the things that some people find helpful? Stuff like grounding, breathing exercise, meditation, going for a walk, sitting in nature. You can also use self talk through anxiety. For example telling yourself this is just anxiety and that you are safe.

What does anxiety feel like for you? Is it thoughts or physical symptoms or both?

It is both physical and mental, i suffer more wirh physical symptoms due to my health anxiety

@Alice62 Ok. Some things that help me with physical symptoms are simple distractions. I’ll go online or to the library and look at books with pictures of animals, beautiful sunsets thwt sort of thing. I do a quick art activity even if it’s something like join the dots, colouring in or drawing a picture that reflects how I feel. I’m not an artist at all it is more about distracting so we focus more on what we are doing and less on how we are feeling.

I also tell myself I am not having a heart attack but that it is anxiety. I repeat this as I tend to over worry. I’ve had anxiety since childhood and I’m now in my early 50’s and it’s always only been anxiety and nothing else to do with my health.

I also come online here and chat. Sometime this afternoon there will be a cuppa and catch up chat and this helps too because you are chatting to people about all sorts of stuff and it gets your mind off the intense anxiety feelings.

Journalling can help by writing what you are worried about. Getting things off your chest so to speak.

I use a free Australian app with no ads called Smiling Mind. It has simole guided meditation to help when feeling anxious. I can highly recommend it.