I deliberately chose to wait until this point in the course to discuss health anxiety and contamination OCD for two reasons. First, I wanted to build your trust so that you would be more receptive to what I have to say. Second, I needed to ensure that you had developed the right skills to confidently step out into life with greater courage and clarity about your goals and the person you wish to become.
In part one of this video, I will explain how these conditions operate and provide new perspectives to help you understand what you might be experiencing. In part two, I will guide you on what steps to take moving forward.
Information about this health anxiety & hypochondria video
I’ve called this video – Applying Common Sense Principles to Health Anxiety, Hypochondria and Contamination OCD.
In the first part of this two-part video – I will discuss what I think these conditions are, who experiences them and show you all the traps they trick you with. Then in part two (my next video) I will detail how we go in and do the effective change work – because health anxiety is really sneaky and we need to be one step ahead of it at all times.
Now, I know these are very emotional subjects – and (as a therapist) some of the hardest early-life conditionings to teach a
person to willingly let go of and to consciously reprogram out of their unconscious brain.
I think it’s because, usually, there is plenty of evidence to support our fears, plus, those that govern us want us to be fearful so we remain compliant (though we don’t need to be) – and ultimately, our biggest fear, which is our death (or the passing of those we love) which we know is going to happen, regardless of what we do, so may unconsciously loom over us like a dark cloud leeching our energy.
To further complicate matters, when a person tries to face their fears – the aspect of themselves that is frightened and cautious (the little- eight-year-old or the ego) is often the very aspect that is trying to fix itself.
Therefore, it may approach the task of recovery from an excessively cautious or radically pedantic or rules-based perspective, thus causing even more drama or becoming entangled in other people’s dramas whilst at the same time being afraid to try new concepts or adopt new belief systems – though very clearly what they are currently doing is not working.
And for some complex individuals what they are doing, and who they are being – is working – but being that person is just too biologically exhausting, thus causing anxiety! Therefore not a long-term valid strategy, though seemingly effective, like working too hard and needing everything to be perfect.
And I feel qualified to discuss this topic as I’ve listened to thousands of people intimately sharing their health anxiety and contamination fears (and it’s far more common than you might expect). Plus, I no longer have health anxiety fears myself. – ((add photo))
Now, usually, I don’t make disclaimers since what I say is my truth based on personal experiences. However, in this video, I want to clarify that I am not a doctor. Therefore, this is not medical advice, and I do suggest that you continue to consult with your medical advisers as closely as you feel appropriate on your current (and future) health issues.
What I am offering in this video is common sense advice that might allow you to see where you may be unconsciously sabotaging your own well-being and where (some aspects) of the health system may be knowingly (or unknowingly) sabotaging you, too!
But, more importantly, how can we lessen our health (and death) fears, so we can live our fullest life now – before it’s too late – and you, the character playing this game of life exits to the next level – or perhaps, has to retake this level again as we hadn’t learnt the basics of how being courageous and having fun operate.
And remember, my work is about finding calmness, not about finding the truth of anything; it doesn’t matter if something is true or not – we are looking to trick the brain into seeing the outer world differently, thereby reducing the stress on our body – which is called wellness.
We are simply deciding to consciously reprogram our
old unconscious brain – to rewire it through intense repetition (and exposure) to new, more positive stories with optimistic outcomes via well-defined intentions.
This will also enhance your ability to make decisions as you’ll just take what actions are required in line with the intentions for your life regardless of how you feel – rather than being overwhelmed by your thoughts, feelings or perceived obligations in that moment.
If you keep taking any action (towards your intentions no matter how scary) and not consider the outcomes, just letting what happens – happen…
Eventually, the penny will drop, that there is very little we can influence in life – except our attitudes and our conscious actions!
And will you choose a pessimistic and fearful attitude or an optimistic and pleasant attitude?
Will you continue with a glass-half-empty attitude or learn to develop a glass-half-full one?
Either one is just a conditioned brain story about the future and neither is true in that moment – because how can your brain know what will happen? Yet one story makes you feel bad and the other makes you feel good.
As you face your fears, you’ll soon discover that your brain doesn’t know what will happen if you touch that thing or what you will or won’t catch if you go outdoors and rub shoulders with those possibly infected and unwashed masses – otherwise known as normal people!
OCD makes you doubt and you need to learn how to doubt, doubt! Because how does your brain know what will happen in the future? It would be absurd to listen to a brain that thought it knew what would happen!
You won’t get that job, or date that girl by thinking about it – but you might by taking positive action towards it. You’ll overcome your fears not by hiding from them but by running towards them.
Here’s a question for your overthinking brain to ponder…
Would you rather – wish to die – whilst trying to live the life you truly do want – even though it would be very scary and challenging to make that happen?
Or would you rather – wish to die – whilst trying to avoid all the things you don’t want – even though it would be very scary and challenging to make that happen?
Can you see – that if we apply some common sense – it becomes obvious how we should be living our lives – we should follow our hearts, our dreams, our passions…
Even if it scares us, and even if we feel out of control – because you already feel scared and out of control – so we may as well employ that fear usefully and sensibly.