I'm reaching out to you for the first time. Please take my pain away :(

[Wanderer06]

Dear friends,

I have a long history of many different obsessions from hocd to fear of developing schizophrenia. The struggles at that time were great but over time I've gotten better and the obsessions lessened in frequency.

Just 2 days ago I've been watching the new series better call Saul in which a character with an allergy for electricity is struggling with his life. He isn't able to leave his home because when he's near any electrical appliances he gets splitting headaches, blurry vision and feels miserable. So he lives in his home with no electrical appliances and anyone who enters the home has to leave his cell phone outside and ground himself.

The character was brought to the hospital and the doctors said that he's got a mental problem and that in fact the electricity is not the problem but rather his believe that it is causing him to react to it. If his problem was an actual disease I would be less concerned because the likelihood of me developing it is small but the fact that it's mental makes it that much more threatening especially because I'm susceptible to turning ideas into obsessions.

This is when I spiked and adapted the thought that I could have the same obsession and suddenly I'll develop the same sensations around electromagnetic radiation. This would have devastating effects on my life as I work with technology and depend on it like we all do.

Now I'm stuck and feeling miserable about it. Suddenly all electronic appliances cause me to spike and almost panic. I know this seems very stupid and irrational but this is what ocd does...

Do you also have obsessions that you've 'caught' just by reading up or hearing about? It makes me feel as though I'm a very weak and uncontrolled person.

What should I do with this obsession?
The Internet is riddled with people claiming to have electromagnetic hypersensitivity and reading their stories only makes me feel more miserable because I'm convinced that it's entirely possible to develop the condition when your mind is weak and takes everything at face value.




I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
I know that it's bad to ask for reassurance but I really need it right now. Tomorrow I have to face my workplace and I work as a system administrator for large scale enterprise servers. Having a problem with electricity means that my career is on the line. I just can't cope at all right now.

Thanks
Paul

[gypsylee]

Dear friends,

I have a long history of many different obsessions from hocd to fear of developing schizophrenia. The struggles at that time were great but over time I've gotten better and the obsessions lessened in frequency.

Just 2 days ago I've been watching the new series better call Saul in which a character with an allergy for electricity is struggling with his life. He isn't able to leave his home because when he's near any electrical appliances he gets splitting headaches, blurry vision and feels miserable. So he lives in his home with no electrical appliances and anyone who enters the home has to leave his cell phone outside and ground himself.

The character was brought to the hospital and the doctors said that he's got a mental problem and that in fact the electricity is not the problem but rather his believe that it is causing him to react to it. If his problem was an actual disease I would be less concerned because the likelihood of me developing it is small but the fact that it's mental makes it that much more threatening especially because I'm susceptible to turning ideas into obsessions.

This is when I spiked and adapted the thought that I could have the same obsession and suddenly I'll develop the same sensations around electromagnetic radiation. This would have devastating effects on my life as I work with technology and depend on it like we all do.

Now I'm stuck and feeling miserable about it. Suddenly all electronic appliances cause me to spike and almost panic. I know this seems very stupid and irrational but this is what ocd does...

Do you also have obsessions that you've 'caught' just by reading up or hearing about? It makes me feel as though I'm a very weak and uncontrolled person.

What should I do with this obsession?
The Internet is riddled with people claiming to have electromagnetic hypersensitivity and reading their stories only makes me feel more miserable because I'm convinced that it's entirely possible to develop the condition when your mind is weak and takes everything at face value.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
I know that it's bad to ask for reassurance but I really need it right now. Tomorrow I have to face my workplace and I work as a system administrator for large scale enterprise servers. Having a problem with electricity means that my career is on the line. I just can't cope at all right now.

Thanks
Paul

Hi Paul and welcome :)

Are you actually getting the same symptoms as that character - the headaches etc? Or just anxiety?

This is a tricky one and I'm not sure what to suggest. Maybe others here have some ideas. But I wanted to let you know I read your post..

Cheers,
Gypsy x

[Wanderer06]

Hi Paul and welcome :)

Are you actually getting the same symptoms as that character - the headaches etc? Or just anxiety?

This is a tricky one and I'm not sure what to suggest. Maybe others here have some ideas. But I wanted to let you know I read your post..

Cheers,
Gypsy x

Thanks for reading my post.

I actually don't get any symptoms other than Anxiety or actually mostly depression when I think about the consequences of having this disease at any point. It's kind of me waiting to develop the symptoms.

[drac16]

Hi Paul,

I occasionally have panic attacks in social situations. I've also had panic attacks in anticipation of social events. A year ago, I was invited to a party with my extended family. I knew that if I were to go, I'd have an attack. When I'm in crowded environments that I'm unfamiliar with, I feel as if the walls are closing in on me. I didn't actually go to this get-together, but the thought of going made me have a panic attack.

I anticipated a fearful event and even though I didn't go, I had the panic attack anyway. It was horrible. That sounds somewhat similar to your situation inasmuch as you anticipate a fear of electronics, therefore you fear situations involving electronics.

[gypsylee]

Thanks for reading my post.

I actually don't get any symptoms other than Anxiety or actually mostly depression when I think about the consequences of having this disease at any point. It's kind of me waiting to develop the symptoms.

Ok so at least you don't have the actual symptoms! You kind of need to think of other times when you worried about developing things and it didn't happen, and apply it to this. Easier said than done I know but you just have to trust that these bad things won't happen.

I've heard that show is good by the way. I thought Breaking Bad was one of the best things I've ever seen :)

[alex42]

Dear friends,

I have a long history of many different obsessions from hocd to fear of developing schizophrenia. The struggles at that time were great but over time I've gotten better and the obsessions lessened in frequency.

Just 2 days ago I've been watching the new series better call Saul in which a character with an allergy for electricity is struggling with his life. He isn't able to leave his home because when he's near any electrical appliances he gets splitting headaches, blurry vision and feels miserable. So he lives in his home with no electrical appliances and anyone who enters the home has to leave his cell phone outside and ground himself.

The character was brought to the hospital and the doctors said that he's got a mental problem and that in fact the electricity is not the problem but rather his believe that it is causing him to react to it. If his problem was an actual disease I would be less concerned because the likelihood of me developing it is small but the fact that it's mental makes it that much more threatening especially because I'm susceptible to turning ideas into obsessions.

This is when I spiked and adapted the thought that I could have the same obsession and suddenly I'll develop the same sensations around electromagnetic radiation. This would have devastating effects on my life as I work with technology and depend on it like we all do.

Now I'm stuck and feeling miserable about it. Suddenly all electronic appliances cause me to spike and almost panic. I know this seems very stupid and irrational but this is what ocd does...

Do you also have obsessions that you've 'caught' just by reading up or hearing about? It makes me feel as though I'm a very weak and uncontrolled person.

What should I do with this obsession?
The Internet is riddled with people claiming to have electromagnetic hypersensitivity and reading their stories only makes me feel more miserable because I'm convinced that it's entirely possible to develop the condition when your mind is weak and takes everything at face value.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
I know that it's bad to ask for reassurance but I really need it right now. Tomorrow I have to face my workplace and I work as a system administrator for large scale enterprise servers. Having a problem with electricity means that my career is on the line. I just can't cope at all right now.

Thanks
Paul

Sounds like power of suggestion... As my late therapist would say, "change the channel..." (In your mind)