any exposure ideas for health ocd/anxiety?

i’ve struggled so badly with this subtype for a year, i am constantly thinking i have an illness with any slight trigger or symptom but 99% of the time it is something harmless. it’s now causing me to miss work and because i don’t have great insurance or time off policy i ruminate all the time about seeing a doctor, what i can afford, whether something is really an emergency or not, etc. :( my brain jumps from illness to illness too, so it is hard to think of effective exposures for the whole of it and also i’m scared of reading or thinking about an illness i haven’t already thought of before and then my ocd adopting it and telling me it’s the new one i have. has anyone had any luck with managing this? i feel like it is getting worse and taking over my life, i feel really disappointed in myself that i haven’t been able to get a handle on it even though i am in therapy and have used erp before to help panic disorder effectively :(

OCDNoThankYe

Date posted: 29w

Hey, I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling right now. I want to let you know that you are not alone and so many of us have or are going through similar experiences. With that being said, I've struggled with health related OCD as a dominant theme for years in the past. For me, it came in the obsession that I was dying of prostate cancer, Leukemia, my heart was going to give out, or I was going to die in general. The first thing that I did for myself was stop doing compulsions. In regards to my heart related OCD, I would take my blood pressure and pulse constantly over and over again, so I made sure to stop that. I also would research what was wrong with me and look up any symptoms that I had, I stopped that as well. Then, for exposure work on my end, I went to the gym, went outside and was just overall active and kept working out even when I felt heart palpitation's or thought I was going to die. I stayed and powered through the fear. I told myself "yeah, I might die", and then kept moving forward instead of stopping and driving home, which was what I usually did. It was extremely, extremely hard, and took a long time, but I eventually got to the point that I was able to mostly overcome health anxiety. My advice is to lean into the discomfort. Don't ruminate and let yourself spiral. If you have a fearful thought, acknowledge it, accept that you had it and let it come and go (mindfulness meditation really helps put some distance between you and your thoughts so that you learn to be an observer rather than getting wrapped up into them). Don't research what is wrong with you. If you feel a physical symptom, acknowledge it, and come back to the present. Sorry, I'm super super tired but I saw your post hours ago and knew that I may be able to help you. Please ask any questions and I'll get back to you as soon as possible when I'm more awake. Remember, everything will be ok. You got this and I am super proud of you for reaching out for help.

strawbrrygrl

Date posted: 28w

@OCDNoThankYe this is so wonderful and encouraging!! my therapist echoed to start out with non engaging responses to the thoughts and stopping compulsions. i’m slowly stopping compulsions but it’s so hard, i live alone and like to call hotlines bc i’m always scared i will die bc of an illness with no one there to stop it. i haven’t called for a couple days but it’s sooo hard. i still find myself spiraling but when i realize i am i try non engagement responses and that has actually been helpful. how did you build up the courage to work out and go to the gym? i know that would help me so much, and probably eventually make me feel better, but i can’t seem to get myself started.

OCDNoThankYe

Date posted: 28w

@strawbrrygrl - Hey, I’m super proud of you for not calling hot lines and what not. In regards to the gym, I just went for it. Whenever I’d start to freak out, I would stay there and just sit with the feelings and fear and push through them, sometimes it would get too much and I’d leave, but I just kept going back and kept trying. If it’s doable for you, maybe start out with a time limit that you are forcing yourself to stay at the gym and then expanding upon that every time you go. You tot this

Crustle

Date posted: 23w

Seeking success stories about health anxiety OCD

Hello! I'm new here and have a nice, big grab bag of OCD sub-types, but the one I struggle with most is health anxiety. I would love to hear from folks who have had success with ERP and this subtype! Maybe without many triggering details 😉

anxietypoops

Date posted: 23w

The RP in ERP

Hi! I've been on my OCD healing journey for about half a year and I have seen a lot of success. I'm reaching out for advice, I am very willing to do exposures because I know the more I do them, the more I get better, but I struggle with the response prevention part. I don't know how to control my brain when it comes to facing the fears especially since most of my compulsions are mental. I can tell myself the typical things "I am okay with the uncertainty of this happening", etc. but its like my brain doesn't believe them. I've been stuck in this disconnect for a while and would love advice you have heard from a therapist or learned that has really help you.

Anonymous

Date posted: 22w

Advice on getting by?

Hi! I’m new to the NOCD community, but I’ve been dealing with OCD since I was 12. I’m almost 29 now, and my biggest issue is health anxiety. It’s gotten to the point where getting work done is nearly impossible because i can’t stop spiraling. I’m lucky that i work remotely, but also makes it easier to be in my own head… Asking for advice - how do you all deal with the intense anxiety and are able to make it through a 9-5 work day? Any suggestions on how I can actually be productive? Thank you!

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