Fear of helplessness...

[stargirl193]

I think the thing I am most terrified of, so much so that sometimes I can't breathe or feel sick, is being helpless. Like, I freak out thinking about if there was a war, and a bomb was heading towards me, and I was helpless to do anything to stop it. Or a meteor, tidal wave etc. I don't think I am too afraid of dying, its mainly the helplessness in situations...

Does anyone else ever feel like this?

[kristis2]

I think that it's fairly common,not to that extent,but no one likes to feel helpless!I worry about these things often but I have anxiety disorders so I tend to be worried about everything!You need to realize that you need to focus on the things you can change and be in control of,not the things that you don't!I know,easier said than done!Your creating alot of anxiety for your self by doing this!!I read this somewhere:

Grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference!

All the best!Kristi

[kristycake]

Stargirl,
I have dreams about bombs and stuff like u described. It is purely from unhealthy worry caused via anxiety. Do u also suffer from depersonaliztion?

[rasaht]

My biggest fear in life is exactly the same thing - helplessness. Not so much these days about disasters. When I was about 5 I used to worry about there being a tornado and my dog being outside. I may have been more curious than scared, but I was definitely obsessed with the idea. These days I'm more worried about my life just going really bad, and me ending up with no money or no friends or losing my loved ones or something like that, but completely unable to do anything about it, just having to watch my whole life go down the drain.

I think I would freak out more about natural disasters if I let myself think about them. But when I had that whole tornado obsession my dad would tell me not to worry about things unless they happened, and for some reason that has made more sense to me as I've gotten older. Sometimes I do imagine something bad happening, but as a scenario in which everything works out alright. If I do start freaking myself out I make myself stop thinking about it. Like if I think about a loved one dying I often end up crying and worried that somehow I've jinxed them. But then I just tell myself that if that is going to happen, I can't stop it nor forsee it and would worry about it then, but drop the idea for the time being.

[bkm4673]

hey there i have ocd and i feel for you i hope you get better. I use napkins and paper towels to open doors sometimes and its not because of germs its because i think i feel way off from touching certain stuff and my dr. just prescribed lexapro but i havent started taking it yet. I hope we all get better.

Brandon