To that one person that said I should try ERP, thank you.

We all know how complicated obsessive compulsive disorder can be. Better than anyone.
For the past four months, I was trapped in an obsessive spiral driven by health anxiety, and honestly, it was hell.
Nothing could convince me that I was okay. The countless doctor visits, the endless tests, and worst of all, the money I spent that I will never get back. It was a nightmare.
Over the course of those months, I underwent 17 tests. But this month, I decided to take a break. A lot of things happened as well, and those changes served as a distraction. I changed jobs. I changed my routine. I started leaving the house more often. In short, I kept my mind occupied.
I stopped responding to my obsession. Whenever the urge for reassurance appeared, I would remind myself: “No answer is ever 100% certain, so I have to accept uncertainty.” Little by little, I learned to live with doubt instead of fighting it.
At my worst, I was having tests done every single week. Now, I have gone 21 days without a single test.
It has been five months since this episode began, but one thing is certain:
I am not going to feed it anymore.
The fear may still be there. The intrusive thoughts may still appear. The uncertainty may never disappear completely. But I am learning that recovery is not about proving that the fear is impossible. It is about refusing to let the fear control my life.
And for the first time in a long time, I feel like I am taking that control back.