- Date posted
- 19w ago
Does anyone struggle with Somatic OCD?
I’ve been struggling with this for the part year and it’s been horrible I hate my life and I feel like nothing works , please help or feel free to share tips or your own story
I’ve been struggling with this for the part year and it’s been horrible I hate my life and I feel like nothing works , please help or feel free to share tips or your own story
I don’t have somatic OCD, but I understand your pain and I truly hope things turn around for you. Just know that this is just a small bump in the road, and it won’t last forever. If you aren’t currently seeing a therapist, I think it would be best to start that. If you aren’t currently, great job on taking that step. With the right support and effort, you’ll move forward. It takes a lot of dedication and patience, but I’ve been there and it’s so worth it. You’ve got this and I’m rooting for you!!!!💗💗💗
@Anonymous I meant if you are currently seeing a therapist, good job***
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, the scalp/face have muscles & blood vessels that pulsate. So I’ve learned (and through practice) to let them all do their jobs without having to interfere. This while accepting the uncertainty and discomfort. Hope this helps you.
Learn to be OK with it and realize it’s normal bodily process that you don’t have to control, try to make sense out of or do a compulsion with it.
In particular to Breathing ocd
I’m going through a really bad flare up. I developed ocd many years ago when I had my first child. Postpartum ocd. I suffer from harm and pocd. At first I had mostly mental and some physical compulsions but the physical faded away pretty early on and i’ve just done mental compulsions since. My ocd was in remission for alot of years and if the ocd would pop up now and again, I was easily able to shrug it off and not engage. A few years ago I went through a stressful time in my life and the ocd came back to stay. At first it was bad but then it got better and has been pretty mild until now. It’s been really bad this week and the physical compulsions are even back. I never thought it would ever get this bad again. My ocd is making me doubt who I am and how I feel. I know it’s all ocd and not real or true but the ocd makes it feel so real that I can’t easily dismiss or disprove it. The more I try to disprove it the more real the ocd makes it feel. I’m really struggling and don’t know how to get back on track. I don’t have access to a therapist because there are no ocd specialists near me and my insurance doesn’t cover online therapy. That’s why i’m reaching out here. Has anyone been through a rough relapse? How can I get through and past this??
I’m having a big OCD relapse and would like to hear anyone’s tips on how to be present and healthily deal with these intrusive thoughts and the “need” to preform compulsions. Thank you!!
I started dealing with OCD when I became fixated on health issues, particularly the fear of contracting a life-threatening disease. If I experienced any kind of medical symptom, no matter how small, that even remotely hinted at something potentially fatal, it would drive me crazy, and I couldn’t stop obsessing over it. Then one day, I started having intrusive thoughts about accidentally hitting someone with my car, and I would end up driving in circles to check if I had. Eventually, I found myself overwhelmed by a flood of new obsessive thoughts and compulsions. One day, while I was at the park, a squirrel came near me, and for some reason, I felt like it attacked me. I Googled it and learned that squirrels could carry rabies, which spiraled me into a deep fear of rabies. I became consumed with the thought I received a bite from a squirrel, raccoon, or bat any time I’m in areas that trigger me. It started off only being inside then transferred to even being in my own home. This made me obsess over every physical sensation in my body, compulsively checking to make sure nothing was wrong. One compulsion that I hated the most would to be putting rubbing alcohol on me to make sure that I had no open wounds. Every day feels like I’m walking around in a fog of anxiety, constantly worrying that I won’t even make it to old age. Sometimes, it gets so overwhelming that I just want it all to end. It stresses me so bad at times to where my brain feels like I’ve been studying all day.
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