Yes health anxiety & OCD are very closely related, it kind of goes hand in hand. Health anxiety is something that I’ve always experienced in the background but it really ramped up after my 5th child when I was getting so many physical symptoms & having lots of tests. I came to the understanding myself that it was OCD & anxiety in the end as it started to improve once I was back on medication & back with my psychologist doing meta cognitive therapy. It was a very scary time as I didn’t know what was wrong with me, the anxiety & panic attacks were off the scale. I really hope you’re doing better now & I wish you all the very best of luck in your recovery. 😊

Yeah when I recount so much of this stuff from over the years, it really does seem like a lot but it also shows me how much stronger I am than I thought I was. At some of my lowest I couldn’t see a way out but I did & I got better, so hoping these videos are showing people recovery is possible. Rumination is also hardwired in me but with therapy I am much more able to have awareness of this & step back. Not an easy process but with practice it is achievable. Xx

@@stuckinthemudofficial Your videos are excellent. Genuine and with a deep understanding of the struggle

@@justmadeit2 Thank you, that’s so kind! 😊 Xx

Hi Kirsty, I've found over the years that my anxiety and OCD has always been heightened during and after all my pregnancies, before a period and now pretty constantly through the perimenopause. This makes me certain that for me hormones play a massive role in how I'm feeling. Unfortunately now the anxiety is more persistent so I'm praying once I hit menopause and things settle down I'll feel less stressed by all the worries and rumination xxx

@@helenbourne8175 Hi this is exactly how I’ve been too with pregnancy, period’s & now perimenopause. The latter has been pretty erratic, there doesn’t seem to be a predictable pattern to ocd/anxiety anymore & it seems more intense. It can change month to month symptoms come & go, then come back again. Like you say hopefully it settles down at some point! ❤️🤞 Xx

Hey, sorry to hear you’re struggling today. OCD can be so overpowering & loud at times, this you’re experiencing is classic OCD. I often get triggered reading news articles & will immediately think oh no this is gonna try & pull me in. 😩 The urge to start thinking about it & get involved can be so overwhelming especially when it’s accompanied by physical sensations, I really do get it. I find just surrendering to it & think ok OCD you can just do your thing in the background & I’ll continue to move forward with my day. It’s difficult to begin with & it’s gonna keep trying to hook you so it might feel repetitive at first but sticking with that ‘icky’ uncomfortable feeling really does pay off. We’re sending that message to our brain & OCD that it’s not in control of us & it will decrease the intrusive thoughts in frequency/intensity. It’s so challenging especially on days when we may be tired, I’ve also had this during the last week as I’ve been ill with a chest infection so up all night coughing, not good as I really need my sleep. My mind tends to get a bit lazy on lack of sleep & I feel myself getting pulled in more easily by OCD. Please be kind to yourself, just notice how differently you could possibly approach this next time. I’ve been where you are now, I know it’s hard but I also know you can do this. Hope this helps, Kirsty. 😊 Xx

@@stuckinthemudofficial Thanks for detailed reply. It’s much appreciated. Justin

I’m sorry to hear you’re experiencing these symptoms too. 😞 It can feel so scary but it can definitely get better. Wishing you all the best, I hope my videos are helping. 🤞