Fear of being pregnant

[RN86]

Ive been having anxiety about being pregnant..it gets to the point where i make myself sick..its all i think about. I start to feel pregnant with most of the symptoms.. i took at least 10 pregnancy tests and all negative and even got my period and i still think im pregnant. I fear the pregnancy process, and not wanting to be pregnant at this time...i try to live my life with no stress..but this has become an issue for me

I was diagnosed with OCD a couple of years ago

I have a few things that i have to do and if i dont do it i go crazy
How can i help myself calm down without medication...I feel so sick...its getting bad :( :(
Can a doctor prescribe me something for my paranoia and anxiety :(

[anonanon123]

i am having the exact same fear.

[emmy_ocd]

thankyou so much for the advice, i have been on an antidepressant too, escitalopram. but i discontinued the drug because of the side effects and drowsiness that lasts all day long. i am trying not to check myself or the internet but sometimes i get so scared that i start doing it. i know it worsens the anxiety. i am trying.

[nursegirl6572]

You need to stick with the therapy and meds.  What kinds of meds are you on?  You mentioned a benzo, are you also on an antidepressant?  If so, they take time to work, and sometimes you may need a higher dose (which means more time). If not, I would ask your doc about it.  Are you seeing a psychiatrist for the meds?  If not, I recommend that, versus your family doctor.

Therapy is cruicial.  OCD isn't curable, it's a condition you have to manage.  It can be managed, but it's important that you keep working on it until your anxiety is tolerable and you're not still plagued with these thoughts all the time.  I would suggest finding a therapist who is well versed in CBT if possible, and picking up some books to read about OCD.  The one JGF mentioned is a perfect one to start with.  Those series of workbooks are great, they are actually a lot like textbooks, with exercises and all sorts of tools to use.

You must try very hard not to give into the "checking" urges, no internet searches about people not knowing they're pregnant, or getting pregnant from a toilet seat, etc.  Also, any checking you're doing on your body needs to stop too, feeling your tummy, examining yourself, taking pregnancy tests, any of that.  It's hard at first because the compulsions are what an OCD sufferer turns to to help decrease the anxiety, but unfortunately those compulsions make the anxiety worse in the long run.  You MUST try not to give into those urges.

Good luck to you!

[emmy_ocd]

what added to my misery was a news report that a woman found out that she was pregnant only when she went into labor. she was a marathon runner and a mother of two already. how is it possible that she never came to know of her pregnancy? i have normal periods, every month i have them, i took a pregnancy test in feb, after it happened, negative. what should i do now?

[emmy_ocd]

right. i am such a mess right now. i dont know what it is but i feel some movements in my tummy, sudden movements. and that forces me into thinking that maybe i m pregnant GOD FORBID. it has been seven months now, seven! and i m still not over it.

[JGF25]

HELL YES!!!!  Stress is NOT an OCD person's friend.  That is why it is so crucial to have some tools that you can use to help yourself.  Self-coaching, controlled breathing, journaling, etc.