Smiley35
- Date posted
- 2y
I'm scared, I keep focusing on my breathing.
I keep focusing on my breathing and my anxiety in general and I feel like I'm stuck in my body and mind suffering. My meds aren't helping idk what else to do.
Dee CDee C
- Date posted
- 2y
Some things I’ve picked up in my journey as it may relate to somatic ocd and/or body sensations: The heart knows how to pump blood throughout the body, the lungs know how much air to breathe in & out, the stomach knows how to process nourishment, the eye lids know how & when to blink, my scalp has muscles & blood vessels that pulsate. So I’ve learned to let them all do their jobs without having to interfere and accept the uncertainty. Hope this helps you.
Smiley35Smiley35
- Date posted
- 2y
Thank you, I do know all of this but how do I stop focusing on it? I have acid reflex as well so I always feel short of breath and it scares me.
VGHVGH
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 2y
Hey, sorry you're experiencing this. Try allowing the thoughts/feelings to be there, but do something you value, maybe get outside, take a walk, move your body in a way that you like. The idea being to redirect your focus to a value-based behavior as opposed to a fear-based behavior. It will probably feel bad, irresponsible, like you're making a mistake, but it is important to move forward with your life. Don't wait to feel better before you move forward. My therapist said to me, "Doing comes before feeling." I would always want to feel better before I did anything. Now I know when I wake up and feel the fears/intrusive thoughts/feelings start to come I make myself get up, get dressed, get to work (all value driven behaviors). Sure the fears/thoughts/feelings are still there, I don't resist them or try to get rid of them, they accompany while I do things I value. An interesting thing happens when I do this, the fears/thoughts/feelings dissipate. Good luck, hang in there, you're are stronger than you know!
Smiley35Smiley35
- Date posted
- 2y
Thank you so much for your response, it is more appreciated than you know. I don't drive anymore after 16 years of driving due to anxiety unless it's close to home (basically around my neighborhood) so I find myself sitting at home very bored and especially now that I'm on a social media break my anxiety is super heightened. I am trying to color more, read more, meditate and watch shameless. I just started exercising again last Saturday for the first time in 3 and a half months when my panic and anxiety got REALLY bad and that's hello helping me too. I am wanting to go back to the gym starting next week. It's hard to sit with it sometimes because it gets so intense but I know like you said they are just thoughts, feelings and emotions and that is what comes with being a human being.
VGHVGH
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 2y
Hey, that’s great! Recovery is a process that takes practice. Don’t get disheartened, believe me, I work on it everyday. The important thing is you are moving forward. I am working on my driving too😀. I try everyday to allow uncertainty, focus on my values. Sometimes it’s just that I get out of bed, get dressed and make my bed. Be kind to yourself, you are doing hard things❤️. Have you reached out for therapy? NOCD therapists are great! There are a ton of helpful videos on NOCDs YouTube channel too. Certainly reach out here too. It was so helpful for me too to realize I wasn’t alone. Take care!
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IrisisBlue_.
- Date posted
- 23w
Do you feel the same?
I felt really overwhelmed with my thoughts and just so over it. I had my breathing controlled normally. It’s just so fucking annoying and frustrating that a normal thing like breathing is a hassle and something that I’m scared to do on a day to day basis recently. I had it controlled. I just wanna know if there’s people out there with a similar problem or something. I have this thing, this problem with a feeling of my thoughts coming out of my breath when I breathe I can’t breathe normally. It’s annoying and it takes me a couple days to finally catch my breath. I was doing good but then I ran out of my meds and the problem came back I was off my meds for 2 days. I had a breakdown about it today bc the thoughts are so perverse and I just wannabe in a normal situation again and be happy and normal it’s so hard to maintain. I don’t know what’s going on.
Vee4
- Date posted
- 17w
Rant
I'm really frustrated right now because once again I feel like I can't keep up with my own brain and I just can't keep doing this. I'm so tired of doing this. My head is always going and going and going and I just want to unplug it. It makes me so stressed. It's like I have someone else in my head who won't shut up and is always pointing everything I do out. Like I'm walking on eggshells around myself so I don't trigger these thoughts. But if I walk on egg shells then it just goes on about something else and I feel like I'm going crazy.. I feel so bad because it makes me so snappy. I want to bash my head in because I'm so over it. The only thing I know that helps is anxiety meds, because I had one one time and it actually really helped me (it didn't even do it's job! Because of how bad my anxiety is!! I'm just so desperate at this point for relief) But the last time I brought up going on meds for anxiety with my mom she said I'll get addicted, like my dad, or my grandma, or whoever else in my family because everyone in my family is addicted to SOMETHING. I don't see the issue in trying though. I feel like I'm someone who could really benefit from anxiety meds. I don't talk about my feelings often BECAUSE of anxiety, so it seems like I'm just trying to go on meds for no reason. But it's like..my body hurts. All the time. And my brain never stops. My brain is so messed up. I feel like I could do so much more if I wasn't like this. It's never going away, I've tried and I've tried and I'm still a mess. I just want it to stop. I'm not asking for much. I just want the fear to stop and the intrusive thoughts to stop and the racing thoughts and the feelings of doom and the nervousness and and I actually want to feel okay in my own skin for fucking once. I've tried everything nothing works im losing patience and I'm losing hope. I feel like there's something wrong with me. I feel like my brain is broken and that makes me sad to be honest. I feel like everyone around me can work. Why can't my stupid brain work???? I try so hard. I try so hard all the time. And it still doesn't do what it needs to do. I hate myself so much.
Lucybell<3
- Date posted
- 14w
Breathing AGAIN!!
PLEASEEE READ!! I know this sounds ridiculous but lately I’ve been soo hyperfocused on my breathing. I feel like I’m not breathing right/properly, it’s hard to explain.. it just feels wrong or like my breathing pattern is wrong. How that’s possible? I have no clue. I’ve had this all day. Has anyone ever experienced this?? My doctor keeps saying anxiety but I just feel like something isn’t right.
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