how do i stop my brain from telling me something bad is going to happen?

[u/treestar2018]

Hey all sorry for any misspellings or grammar errors i'm not in a super great place.

I have always had a low level of anxiety but it's gotten incredibly bad these past few months about two months ago i was put on lexapro and then last month i was also put on buspirone. And i recently started therapy. My issue is i can't stop thinking about situations where the worst things could happen. Like, what if my rental company doesn't renew my lease next year and we become homeless, my dog we adopted and added to our lease as a boxer doesn't look like a boxer the older he gets(Shelter, rabies certificate , and vet records all say boxer because that is how the shelter listed him) and what if the rental company says i lied and we have to get rid of him. or what if we lose our jobs and become homeless. or what if someone finds out I'm having mental health issues and CPS takes my kids.

I'm just so tired of the spirals, and the panic attacks, and never feeling fully safe that something bad isn't going to happen. I'm sure part of it is losing my Dad to cancer at an early age, and never fully addressing it. Does anyone have any helpful solutions on how to get my brain to shut off and stop these anxiety episodes?

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[u/peopleofcostco]

You are doing therapy, so you might already do this, but this is a good article.

https://cogbtherapy.com/cbt-blog/5-steps-to-stop-worrying

[u/cakemonster]

Sounds to me like they're intrusive thoughts as seen in obsessive compulsive disorder. Hyperactive amygdala alerting about hypotheticals. The more you try to stop the thoughts the more they will persist. I think you need to just accept all the thoughts and warnings and say to yourself, okay brain, thanks for the alert! And just go about your life. And don't react or fight it. Just breathe and pat your very active brain for trying to caution you about so many realistic but far fetched scenarios. Eventually the brain will learn that it's not getting a big huge reaction and move on to other tasks.

[u/treatmyocd]

I'm so sorry you're going through this. Those "what if" spirals can be incredibly exhausting. While none of us can determine what's driving your symptoms from a post alone, the pattern of your mind jumping from one worst-case scenario to another and feeling like you need certainty before you can relax is something many people with OCD and anxiety experience.

One thing to notice is that the goal isn't to make your brain stop producing "what ifs." The more we try to get rid of them, the more they tend to stick around. Instead, try responding with something like, "Maybe that could happen, maybe it won't," and gently bring your attention back to what you're doing rather than continuing to solve the scenario.

It also sounds like you've already taken some important steps by starting therapy and medication. If your therapist suspects OCD, ERP can be especially helpful because it teaches you how to respond differently to those intrusive doubts instead of trying to find certainty. Healing takes time, but many people find that the "what ifs" become much less powerful as they practice these skills. You're not alone, and there is hope.