Fear of Stress & Feeling Overwhelmed

Nick talks about this common fear and relates it to the fear of fear cycle, and why an avoidant lifestyle isn't helpful.

Follow us on social media:

Join our online OCD community dedicated to recovery:

[andreash.]

The fact that all these OCD recovery videos aren’t blown up with views just mirrors how most people want change without putting in the work.

[Dupontcore]

The sleep example. So fucking true. Personal question, about fear of stress/feeling overwhelmed. I really want to be a surgeon. I know that I was born to be a surgeon. I am in the 2nd year of medical school, I have 2 years until residency for surgery but I really want to do it, but there are so many "horror stories" online about how many hours I'll be working and how much sleep I won't get, like 100 hour weeks for multiple years type thing, before you are finally an attending doctor. I really want to do it. I know I would be great at it, but I am so fucking afraid of the "burnout" and the I want to do it. I believe I can, but I still have one foot in the door. I feel like I would be able to meet so many smart people, and be able to take part in a long long tradition of surgeons, and I'd be able to travel and learn a really awesome skill and honestly it sounds like an amazing way to spend my life. I am just afraid of how tired, burnt out, and of all the horror stories about people wishing they did something different. I would love some advice on this.

[marioanderson]

First I just want to say that your straightforward style is refreshing. Most professional I know coddle too much which can be detrimental or slow recovery. I am currently searching for a specialist with this style as I feel this is what I need to stay consistent with my goals and practices.

I’m wondering if you could have a discussion about developing mindset needed to overcome what is known as “Association OCD”. Basically it’s where I attach/associate my intrusive thoughts (rather imagined or actual things thats happened) with food/places/people/activities, literally any and almost everything. So then everytime I do X i think of Y and it triggers all the intrusive thoughts. I know I should just do the activity/eat the food etc with the thoughts in my mind without compulsing and the thinking is that they will eventually stop associating the thought, yet I always remember the attached thought even months later. I still have clothes I don’t wear for this reason. An example of how this is affecting my recovery is that I only eat specific food because I don’t want to attach an intrusive thought to whatever I eat. Same thing with clothes, I haven’t even taken the pill prescribed because I attached an intrusive thought that I will think of every time I take it.

To clarify, I am not seeking reassurance. I am just looking for a way to get over this issue because its greatly affected my ability to even continue my recovery at times. I know I could see these as exposure opportunities but it’s so hard to actually do it.

[languagegravy]

Sir can you please make more video on explaining unconditional life acceptance with some examples of scenario which you encounter in your life and what you did at that moment because sometimes I get confused how to do unconditional life acceptance.

[Siberian_Khatru.]

Hey Nick! How about a video on fear of death because all these fears are surrounded by the worst case scenario of death and agonizing mental pain only?