I don’t know what to do

My anxiety is so horrible I am focusing on ever little thing like my throat feels like it’s closing from mucus in it so I cry and cry which makes it worse and I’m up all night and can’t keep missing work it’s horrible. I feel so far away from the person I was a month ago :( I have a therapy appointment at the end of the month but I wish it was sooner. It will be my first one in a long time. I keep telling myself obviously I can breathe but there’s a lump in my throat. I have gerd and bad allergies so I always have post nasal drip but yesterday my coworker mentioned how with her gerd her throat was swollen and it was hard to swallow and I think that’s what triggered this. But a few days ago it was something else. It’s always something

Simon

Date posted: 1y

So sorry you’re struggling. I really know the feeling. Usually I have intrusive thoughts and pure o with taboo or existential themes, but I occasionally go through somatic obsessions about breathing. I have had many grueling panic attacks wondering if I will ever be able to go back to normal, automatic breathing, worrying I will somehow forget how to breathe. It always passes eventually. I’ve tried to purposefully focus on my breathing (in a non compulsive way) as an exposure. That helped quite a bit, to sit with my breath, notice it, notice ant fears and discomfort, notice panic start to spike up, and allow the catastrophic feeling to exist and not resist it. I know it sounds like the last thing you would want to do, but it truly begins flipping the coin back in your favor, and away from OCDs game. Hope therapy goes great, and keep trying to casually stay out of your head

Study120

Date posted: 1y

@Simon Thank you so much. It was better yesterday and the day before but last night it’s back full force and I’m convinced I developed throat cancer or something I’m so anxious I had to call out of work. But I have therapy tonight. I just wish it would stop

Simon

Date posted: 1y

@Study120 Panicking can give a false sense of credence to thoughts and sensations like this. Hallmark OCD. You very likely don’t have any actual issues with your throat - but that little bit of uncertainty is good to welcome in. Try to focus on other things and agree with whatever health catastrophe your mind is creating

Simon

Date posted: 1y

@Study120 Hey there— I’m so glad you’re getting the help you need— it’ll be a swift recovery. You got this !

Study120

Date posted: 1y

@Simon Thank you so much

justsomone1

Date posted: 1y

try to distract yourself , I know it’s hard when the only thing you can feel or think about is the feeling in your throat but it will be okay. your throat is okay !

OCDMM

Date posted: 17w

Lonely and struggling

OCD can be so isolating. I’m in a health anxiety spiral and struggling at work. I feel like I am failing everywhere and feeling very alone. My support system is tired of hearing about my fears, health wise and work wise. I find myself crying a lot. I don’t particularly enjoy doing anything anymore. I feel like I just can’t get comfortable in my skin or my head sometimes. I’m not sure how to else to describe it. Like nothing soothes me or makes it better. Even sleep is bad dreams and waking up anxious all night. I’ve always felt different from everyone else but when I’m on meds I can fake it better and I feel more connected. I want to go back on SSRI’s but I’ve been dealing with health issues and the meds exacerbate them so am delaying for the time being

berrybrynn

Date posted: 9w

is this hyper fixation off

i’m not trying to ask for reassurance but is this ocd? I’ve had religious OCD Harlow city and pure OCD before and I’m still going through it but basically today I was putting on lipgloss and it got into my mouth and it was like a overwhelming flavor. It tasted gross and then I choked on my spit and I have a sore throat right now, but I choked on my spit and ever since that it feels like there’s so much saliva in my mouth and it feels like hard to like catch my breath like the feeling you get when you’re like, gasping for air after choking that’s kinda how I’m feeling without like the gasping part but it just feels like I’m like swallowing on command and I’ve had like breathing fixation before so I don’t know if this is just like fixating on my swallowing but it’s bothering me and I don’t know if it’s cause I have a sore throat but yeah basically kind of feels like I’m drowning like inside my mouth like there’s just like so much saliva in my mouth and like I have to swallow like every second and I just feel like I can’t breathe when I swallow for some reason kinda

suzie90

Date posted: 9w

Emetophobia

So I’m severely emetophobic but these past few weeks have gotten SO bad. I had a bad reaction to an SSRI that made me feel like I was gonna throwup, I stopped taking them over two weeks ago but ever since then the fear has got even worse. I haven’t left the house properly in weeks because I’ve convinced myself I’ll be sick. I feel nauseous even indoors a lot of the time (there are hours when I don’t, like for example this afternoon I was fine). But I challenged myself to go for a short walk this evening and omg it was so hard I really thought I might throwup. The thing is I KNOW it’s anxiety and not real nausea because it feels completely different to when I was actually nauseous from the medication. This feeling is more like a tight throat/sensation of a lump in my throat that makes me feel like I’m gonna gag. I also have RCPD (I can’t burp basically lol) so I just feel like I have trapped air in my throat that’s gonna make me puke. The phobia has gotten really really bad. I have started therapy recently but I’ve been scared of throwing up since I was a kid and I’m now 31 lol wtf. I remember last Christmas my mum said someone at her work had been sick and I was so scared my mum had caught it and would pass it on to me that I refused to leave my bedroom without wearing gloves and a mask and wiping everything with anti-germ wipes. But right now it’s so so bad because I have literally gotten to the point where I’ve convinced myself I feel nauseous pretty much 24/7 and I am taking anti-nausea meds almost every day. Has anyone else dealt with/has tips for this??? I’m literally desperate 😭

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