Swallowing OCD

I am not sure if I have OCD or not but I have been struggling to swallow for about 9 months now. I think it started in January when I was out to eat with a group of my husband’s friends, I didn’t know them that well and remember being a little anxious. I was eating a salad and suddenly thought I forgot how to swallow. I started panicking about that thought and went to the bathroom to try to calm down. That started a cycle of anxiety. Whenever I got hungry from that day on and I knew I was going to need to eat soon, I would start to get anxious and worry that it would happen again. I also worried that I had developed multiple sclerosis or something else that was causing this. Now I am trying ERP and it’s helping but I am so tired of doing exposures. I am hungry right now but I don’t want to deal with the ordeal of eating. I know it’s avoidance but it’s so draining when it’s every time I eat or drink. I have a doctors appointment today and I’m also worried she won’t believe it’s OCD or she will prescribe me the wrong meds.

Username: lsatt

Date posted: 206d ago

Somatic ocd

Username: melenegrigori

Date posted: 193d ago

That's called pseudodysphagia or phagophobia and I kinda have it too, although I limited it a lot by just continuing eating whatever I like no matter the anxiety. Now it's mostly gone but I do get it occasionally. I guess you could call it a form of OCD but idk, but do check with your doctor first to make sure it's not like something with an actual basis like acid reflux or dysphagia