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The loop library

Whatever loops for you,
it has a name and a way out

Twelve of the most common loops, written in the words people actually say. Find yours, learn how it grows, and take one small step this week.

Driving anxiety

“Motorways make me panic and I've started avoiding them”

The white-knuckle merge, the exit-counting, the long way round that keeps getting longer.

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Panic in queues

“I get panicky in supermarket queues and sometimes just abandon the trolley”

The checkout line closes in, the exit feels miles away, and suddenly the shopping doesn't matter.

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Feeling trapped

“I can't cope with places I can't easily leave”

Middle seats, lifts, traffic jams, the hairdresser's chair. If the exit is blocked, the alarm goes off.

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Health anxiety

“I keep checking symptoms and Googling the worst-case at 2am”

The headache that must be scanned, the mole photographed weekly, the search history you'd never show anyone.

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Social replay

“I replay conversations for days and cringe at things nobody else remembers”

The 1am post-match analysis of a chat that lasted ninety seconds.

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Contamination fears

“I wash until my hands crack and I still don't feel clean”

The tap you elbow, the 'one more rinse', the door handle that ends the whole feeling-clean project.

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Checking loops

“I check the locks and the oven again and again, and I'm still not sure”

The third trip back to the front door. The photo of the hob you'll check from the train.

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Fear of panic

“I'm more scared of the next panic attack than of anything else”

Living braced. Scanning your heartbeat like a smoke detector. Building a life around 'what if it happens here'.

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Sunday dread

“Sunday night arrives and the dread rolls in like weather”

The 5pm cloud. The inbox you open 'just to check'. The week rehearsed nine times before it starts.

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Intrusive thoughts

“Horrible thoughts barge into my head and I can't make them stop”

The thought you'd never say out loud, the 3am 'what kind of person thinks that?', the checking of your own mind.

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Rumination

“My brain won't drop it. I think about the same things for hours.”

The shower debates, the ceiling-staring, the same problem chewed nightly with no verdict ever reached.

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Reassurance loops

“I keep asking 'are we okay?' and the relief never lasts”

The re-sent text, the 'you'd tell me if you were annoyed, right?', the answer that soothes for an hour.

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The honest line:Steady is not a therapist or crisis care. It’s a self-guided practice companion. If you’re in crisis, call 988 (US), 999 (UK), or your local emergency number. You matter.

Ten minutes from now, it could be out of your head

Say hello, say what's looping, and feel what it's like to have a warm voice on your side. Steady is an invite-only research trial right now — free, no card, adults 18 and over.

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