- Date posted
- 3y
- Date posted
- 3y
Hey Ruby :) I've certainly dealt with this before so I'm hopeful I can answer some of your questions. Generally, somatic OCD can manifest as checking compulsion, or often we can become obsessive about sensations in our body. For instance, for me, I experience a ton of health-related OCD and amidst my recovery, I began to become hyper-aware of my heartbeat. When you fixate on a sensation or bodily movement it can classify as somatic OCD. If this sounds like something that is familiar to you, ask your therapist about interoceptive exposures, which work to recreate the physical sensations in a safe setting. You can read more about interoceptive exposures here: https://psychcentral.com/anxiety/interoceptive-exposure-for-treating-anxiety Here are some additional articles and resources concerning the topic: https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/what-is-somatic-ocd and https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/when-automatic-bodily-processes-become-conscious-how-to-disengage-from-sensorimotor-obsessions/ Hope this helps!
Related posts
- Date posted
- 25w
I have gotten maybe about 8 EKG’s within the lest 2 years? I’ve also gotten an echo done, and I got a heart monitor to track my heart over the course of maybe 2 weeks, back last year. Even though I have been to the emergency room so many times because of panic attacks that I thought were heart attacks, and went with a Cardiologist I still obsess and worry. I always think that I am going to develop some kind of heart problem after getting the tests done. Like if they’re just suddenly going to appear/my heart will suddenly have an issue. I especially get nervous when the pain is in the center of my chest + I get a tight feeling like I have pressure on my chest and can’t breathe completely. Please someone share their experience of how they controlled their health anxiety, especially if it’s related to this.
- Date posted
- 21w
I've got a smart watch that tracks my sleep. It gives data like heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), respiratory rate, sleep cycles, restfullness, etc etc etc. Well, since the health OCD has gotten to its peak, I am noticing a false patterning coming from it. For context; I was sick 2 times in recent memory where sleeping heart rate and HRV became metrics that I could use to sort of track the illness. In the days leading up to it, I'd notice my heart rate going up and HRV going down (higher hrv is better.) Then when I was fully sick, my HRV would be up to 15ms less than normal. So now, when I look over my sleep data (because I like to look at data like that, it is interesting to me) and notice my HRV is lower than normal, it triggers intrusive thoughts of "am i getting sick again?" despite no other symptoms. Ruminating begins as I try to "figure out" the cause, despite knowing that stress can lower sleeping HRV. My question is; is it a compulsion to be looking at my sleep data? Should I avoid it altogether? Or is this exactly what ERP is; exposing myself to a triggering event and preventing the response? I look at the data either way and it is only alarming when I see something out of the ordinary. So, do I stop tracking my sleep, or is this a good small step for ERP?
- Date posted
- 17w
So I do my best to abstain from checking my heart rate but sometimes I think about it and I can feel it beating in my chest. It’s not abnormal or anything but I notice it and it’s all I can think about. It’s usually the trigger or start to my anxiety spiral. How can I mitigate that? If I’m busy doing something I don’t notice it unless the thought comes along and says “hmm ur moving very quickly I bet ur heart rate is fast” I have zero symptoms of anything wrong. It’s a mental obsession followed by an urge to check it and if I don’t I feel anxious but if I do I’m still a little anxious especially if it’s faster than I think it should be. This is some sorta trap that I can’t seem to break
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