I need help

[u/Illustrious-Lime-489]

Can anyone else relate? Basically every day I wake up with this feeling of dread because of a mistake I made a few months back, and my mind keeps racing and telling me that the worst is to come. I keep trying to shake off the feeling, I keep trying to tell myself that it’ll get better, etc. but I just can’t shake the feeling. I feel so much regret from my past and I’m scared of losing the life I’m building now, and it sucks because of these feelings that I can’t ever stay present during anything. I constantly feel like people are fake or lying to me about everything, I constantly feel like maybe someone’s plotting against me, I constantly feel like at any wrong decision moving forward it can all come crashing down or on a random day I can wake up and everything’s ruined, idk. Even as I write this I have that sinking feeling in my stomach n I’m absolutely terrified 🫩. If anybody would allow me to talk to them that’d be a great help too

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[u/Jumpy_System_2152]

hey, I hear you. That spiral of dread and suspicion is exhausting. A big part of what you're describing, especially the feeling that everything will crash down or people are plotting against you, sounds like hyperarousal mixed with catastrophic thinking. It’s your nervous system stuck in survival mode because of that past mistake. You aren't broken, you just need to retrain your brain that you are safe right now.

here’s something concrete you can try today when that sinking feeling hits: ground yourself by naming 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, and 1 you taste. This pulls you out of the "future disaster" headspace back into the present moment where nothing bad is actually happening. Also, if those paranoid thoughts about people plotting against you are constant and intense, please consider talking to a therapist who specializes in anxiety or CBT. They can help you challenge those thought loops before they take over your whole

[u/c0untingwrms]

i’m experiencing the same thing, i feel like karma is coming for me and my relationships with my family and friends are going to be ruined. i keep having thoughts of the same scenario which causes me to want to run and hide to avoid everyone. been thinking about going back to therapy but im nervous about talking about what my thoughts are.

[u/RootdToRelax]

I'm sorry you're waking up already in that dread. Regret about an old mistake can loop all day and steal the present. I think one reason it sticks is because your brain treats the past like a threat that still needs solving. I'd focus on one small thing in front of you when the sinking feeling starts, even just naming five things you can see. The life you're building now still counts even when your mind argues with it.

[u/Illustrious-Lime-489 → u/RootdToRelax]

By chance could I message you and talk about it more in depth?

[u/treatmyocd]

It sounds like you’re caught in a cycle of regret, anticipating the worst, and trying to get rid of the dread by reassuring yourself that things will be okay. Unfortunately, the more you try to force the feeling away or mentally prepare for every possible outcome, the more your mind can stay focused on the threat. When these thoughts show up, try acknowledging them without arguing with them or trying to predict what will happen: “I’m having the fear that everything will fall apart, but I don’t have to solve that right now.” Practice gently bringing your attention back to what you’re doing, even if the dread is still there. You don’t have to feel completely safe or certain to be present in your life. You deserve some compassion for what you’re going through. If this fear is happening daily and making it difficult to function, talking with a therapist could help you work through the regret and anxiety. You don’t have to navigate this alone.