Struggling with health OCD and its overwhelming symptoms; seeking advice.

Major health ocd

Man, this is killing me. I’ve had very form of ocd I think from POcD, false memory, socd, hocd, perfectionism, contamination, existential and the one that trips me up the most is health ocd. All the stress OCD gives me causes me to feel some pretty weird sensations in my head and lots of depersonalization. I constantly think I’m developing Alzheimer’s, brain cancer, or really just anything else. BUT these fears get a hold of me so well, I actually become forgetful, stutter, experience blurry vision, painful migraines……. And so I get symptoms of the diseases I fear. Any advice this is killing me?🥺

Username: AnnonnAnnonn

Date posted: 1y ago

This is me 100%. I wish I knew how to make it stop … if I get some new sensation, for example, I google it then think I’m getting that disease or whatever it may be. Then I develop even more symptoms to match that illness. Same with colds. If someone around me has a cold, I feel sick immediately and will get a sore throat. It’s amazing how the mind affects the body. I try to just tell myself it’s my brain making me feel that way & just as easily as my brain can make me feel sick or believe I have a terrible disease, I can make it do the opposite - make me feel better (even if it’s temporary). I say things like “It’s just your thoughts/ OCD, you’re fine”. I hope you find some peace … I know how hard it is :/

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 1y ago

@Ryyy Thx for sharing. It’s helpful knowing I’m not alone ❤️

Username: AnnonnAnnonn

Date posted: 1y ago

@Anonymous Def not alone! Ive been told I’m a hypochondriac - I guess I kind of am! I would also say try to not look up symptoms of anything (if you do that). Harder said than done - I struggle with this myself - but it only makes things worse. Think positive thoughts as much as possible!

Username: sb129sb129

Date posted: 1y ago

Wow this sounds EXACTLY like me.. I’ve been getting the exact kind of symptoms. and have worried like crazy about them. But If you can, and haven’t Already you could talk to a neurologist about your migraines.. Ive been to 2 and they’ve determined it’s multi factorial, but the biggest contributor is stress. Stress takes a HUGE toll on the body and can also cause all of these symptoms. I wish I had a quick fix for you to stop worrying about it, but unfortunately it’s not that easy. Defiantly stay off google and try not to self diagnose, it just fuels the ocd fire.. I do a lot of guided meditations to try and ease my head/body tension while also keeping my mind busy. What helps the most, is that im really just actively trying to enjoy life, and not succumb to feeling bad, sometimes I push through the pain. Sometimes it’s works, sometimes it doesn’t, but at least sometimes it does. I hope this helps✌️❤️ sending love your way.

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 1y ago

@sb129 Thank you🩷

Username: JennBeatsOCD316JennBeatsOCD316

Date posted: 1y ago

Exposure therapy is working WONDERS for my health anxiety OCD. If you aren’t addressing this with a counselor through NOCD I highly recommend you do! I have spent decades with health anxiety and I’m finally getting free from it. It’s all about not reassuring yourself and accepting the uncertainty. Is it scary? Yes. Does it pay off? YES.

Username: Anon.Anon.

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

I have had similar experiences and fears regarding this theme. ERP has let me get some longer lasting relief from the anxiety caused by OCD. My OCD isn’t gone, but it doesn’t typically cause that crippling anxiety you’re talking about having learned the tools to deal with it (from therapy/ERP). It took time and consistency, but things slowly got better for me!

Username: juliarenee11

Date posted: 1y ago

Severe health ocd

I’ve struggled with health anxiety for about 11 years, and it’s been horrible the last 3 years. Health related stuff wasn’t my first theme though. It started out with contamination OCD and magical thinking, and then I was diagnosed in 2015 after being hospitalized. Throughout the last 5 years or so, I’ve been hospitalized a few times for debilitating health anxiety OCD, been on countless meds and struggled to find an OCD specialist. I just want this nightmare to be over. I’ve been convinced of having breast cancer, lymphoma, bladder cancer, brain tumors, ovarian cancer, skin cancer, cervical cancer, and many other health issues. I’ve been to the doctors multiple times, I’ve demanded tests, I’ve compulsively gone to the ER and urgent care to “check” for reassurance, I’ve been convinced that doctors aren’t looking good enough or are lying to me. I do a lot of body scanning, and reading and rereading doctors note for reassurance. I also call the doctors office a lot. Again, I just need this to end but I don’t know what to do because I am so burned out.

Username: angiew58

Date posted: 43w ago

Health OCD Struggles

Hi, im relatively new to the community. I’m hoping I can reach out and hear from some people who have health ocd. I used to have perfectionism, or “everything right” ocd, but ever since an incident involving a health issue last year, it’s manifested into health ocd. It may have exacerbated by the death of someone close to me, as it was cancer-related, and that’s what my intrusive thoughts seem to be about most of the time lately. How do you deal with it, especially when you ARE someone that’s prone to health issues?

Health Concern OCD

Username: Learningtoco...

Date posted: 39w ago

Health ocd

I feel like throughout my life my ocd has taken on different forms and I feel like every time I have issues it’s actually my ocd just getting bad again. Like someone reveals the scooby doo villain and surprise it’s just friggin ocd again . My main “flavor” that I have struggled with ever since the end of 2019 has been severe health ocd . So badly that I have had countless dr visits , hospital visits ranging from panic attacks to lingering anxiety that builds up after weeks of obsessing and loosing sleep . Is there anyone here with some tips to get through this kinda of thing? I’m in therapy and that has helped a lot but I still feel like I pops up and wrecks my life every 4 months or so

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Struggling with health OCD and its overwhelming symptoms; seeking advice.

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