I can't focus.

[dixiegirl]

How can I focus with all these obsessions flooding my mind?

I have to study for an exam. But every time I sit down to study, I start thinking about having HIV or HOCD will flare up or yada yada yada.

I don't know how to focus. I can focus for maybe 10 minutes then I go off the deep end into OCD. What can I do?

 

[dooby-duck]

I wish I knew what to do. I also find that when trying to work with racing thoughts my checking compulsions increase because I can't focus on remembering whether or not I have checked things. I can never seem to focus on a task for more than about twenty minutes anyway. Writing uni essays used to take me longer because I used to wander off every twenty minutes.

 

[cobalt_bluester]

hi there I am sorry you are experiencing these problems, they can make life very difficult. I would recommend trying a course of CBT as this can be effective in tackling problems such as yours. Good luck.

 

[Lorraine Manca]

ginger root. I dont have ocd, but if you put a sliver of ginger root toward the back of your tongue, it kind of wipes out the background noise in your head. maybe itd help for you too?

 

[Dudley]

Take frequent breaks. It sounds kind of dumb to say "counter lack of focus with not working" but I know if I'm working hard for a long time or just doing something for a long time (like my obsessions, ahh!) a quick break of doing something else is a big help. I dunno, it seems to work for me. Hope it helps!