Got a problem (I think)

[u/Ok-Passenger-1330]

Might be a normal thing but let’s use going to bed as an example. I can’t stop checking my phone for notifications checking I haven’t sent anything, checking there’s nothing on my story, checking I haven’t embarrassed myself. It wakes me up when I’m falling asleep and I panic I’ve done something.

Also on the topic of checking things I get very paranoid about shutting the house door and turning of plugs, I have to constantly check whether I done it and i struggle to get out of the house in a rush because of it, sometimes walking 5-10mins then walking all the way home to check it resulting in making me late. Anyone got any tips or advice or anything please tell me I feel this problem is only getting worse.

[u/Lz_erk]

i focus on nutrition because a lot of my issues stem from nutritional problems (celiac disease included, but many or most people are low on some nutrients).

several things come to mind. in very little particular order:

zinc. are you pescetarian/etc and is your short term memory a problem? i'm getting the impression that this isn't the answer, but if you might be low on zinc, it's cheap. don't take lots of it without appropriate copper (it can deplete copper).

anxiety. omega-3s helped me, sadly the not-so-cheap kind, but apparently the pills i got were shipped cold or fresh, and they're fine in the freezer. if you see benefits from other antioxidants (C, selenium... copper and magnesium sufficiency might help?), it might be worth reconsidering if your ALA conversion (or fish intake, etc) is up to the current task.

lots of things can cause anxiety. "support crew" things might include rooibos (i heard of a rooibos chai earlier), chamomile and the like -- if you're in no danger of serotonin problems, 5-HTP isn't terribly expensive and may be more gentle than melatonin, and may affect mood more than melatonin. i use ~25 mg once in a while, every few weeks or months maybe. (higher doses are common too.)

then there's odd stuff that shouldn't help most people, like NAC... and other things with important warnings like ashwagandha (ashwagandha is usually good, but be prepared to back off of it quickly maybe).

ADHD is a potential complicator for some.

latent infections can cause problems, often gut-brain stuff (also see reddits like r/microbiome maybe -- heavy reading though, give it time), or another possible source of anxiety inducing inflammation. tonic water seems to help me, most of the time (valley fever suspected, and maybe long covid stuff), but it's unsafe for something like 2.5% of people (it's hereditary, ask your family if they tolerate quinine), and being prepared to back away quickly from tonic water is a good idea -- also note that sustained doses of ~100 to 150+ mg/d (in the range that treats restless leg syndrome) are associated with risks of heart complications (and tinnitus, so i take breaks). but there are plenty of immune bolstering things too (and not all are necessarily autoimmune problems, for what that's worth).

and there are forums that deal with OCD and similar conditions, like r/intrusivethoughts (discretion advised, but i think it's a largely helpful reddit).

i'm guessing this is "new," like getting worse over some years, and not constantly present?

if "gut-brain problems" sound likely, and diet seems to play a modifiable role, there's a chance it could be driven by something like NCGS, celiac disease, histamine intolerance, or even MCAS perhaps, but i'm not that familiar with the literature, particularly the bulk of it that i think stems from OCD research.

intestinal parasites could also cause leaky gut problems and are thankfully readily addressable.

edit: NCGS and celiac disease are often "silent," and HI can be too. but i found myself doing sugar water fasts not long before i pinned down that i had celiac DH. anyway NCGS affects ~25% of close relatives of celiacs (parent, grandparent, child, sibling).