Obsessed with preparing

[lilmutegirl]

I have a weird question--and maybe this has been asked before, but I don't recall seeing it--I am obsessed with planning/preparing for things. I tend to avoid doing things I should or going places because I don't feel prepared enough. If I don't think I have planned enough in advance, my anxiety increases dramatically. In theory, if I am well-prepared for an event, I should be less anxious, but the reality is, that I never feel prepared so it seems pointless to spend so much time on this. Does anyone else have a similar problem?

 

[JMiller]

I think I know what you mean. About a 2 weeks ago I had to go up to the college I was applying at for an assessment test and I basically had to spend the night before mapping everything out on how to get there, where to park, and which room of which building I needed to go to. I also ended up being the only one going with a binder full of writing paper and my own writing utensils. Bottom line I was over-prepared in the end, which I guess is better than the latter.

I would also mention that I tend to avoid going places spontaneously like if my friends invite me to go somewhere to hang out, I often try to come up with an excuse.

 

[recluse]

I have had the exact same problem since i was about 15. It all started when i was coming up to my final school exmas, i had just recovered from anorexia, then my parents seperated. I think the stress triggered it off and i was worried so much i was going to mess up my exams i was obsessing over facts and figures we had to learn.

Then when i left school and went to college i was worried so much about not knowing waht to talk about i would sort of have a script ready in my head.

It affects me to this very day. I can rarely be spontaneous and live in the moment.::

 

[Kinetik]

I am also obsessed with planning. I work out my future as much as I feel I can. If you look in my kitchen cupboard right now, you'll see food items placed one on top of each other in a row for the different days of this week.

But I also rehearse conversation and social situations in advance as well. This is especially true if I have to make a phone call to a non-family member. I try to at least have the opening lines down in my head so that the rest of the dialog flows nicely.