Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: Yesterday

Physical compulsion causing distress

Hi everyone! I am feeling extremely distressed and don’t know what to do. Usually I have mental compulsions which I have a decent grasp on- but sometimes I get this weird compulsion with swallowing. It’s only happened to me a few times before and never this bad so I haven’t talked to my therapist about it yet. It’s like I have completely forgotten how to swallow normally. Every time I swallow I have to think about it and I push saliva or food or water into my nose. It’s extremely distressing and I have been doing it the last day and a half and I can’t stop. I feel like I have completely forgotten how to swallow and that I am going to hurt my body by making food/saliva/ water constantly pushed into my nose. Does anyone have advice or have experienced something similar? I can barely sleep/eat or swallow normally and it’s making me spiral terribly.

S.Y.

Date posted: Yesterday

It sounds like somatic ocd. There’s information on treatmyocd.com. You should talk to your therapist and they will help you with it. I’m sorry you’re feeling distressed.

Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: Yesterday

@S.Y. Hi thank you for your support! I unfortunately am not meeting my therapist until Monday but I have messaged her. Are there any emergency resources out there? I seem to only be able to find some texting hotline which wasn’t much help.

S.Y.

Date posted: Yesterday

@Anonymous You’re welcome. I’m not sure. Here’s what I found on treatmyocd https://www.treatmyocd.com/search/Swallowing Maybe something there will help. Maybe someone here will have some ideas.

magnetictears

Date posted: 17h

I’ve had similar experiences where I’m hyper aware of the saliva collecting in my mouth and am focusing on it so much that it’s hard to stop swallowing. I feel the urge to constantly swallow to get rid of the excess saliva, so much so that I give myself a sore throat. When I am experiencing this I try to spit the saliva out, like into a cup or towel if possible so that I’m not swallowing it. Have you tried this instead of pushing into your nose? It also helps to try to focus on other things that take your mind away from the swallowing action. I haven’t experienced this with food or liquids that I put into my mouth though. Are you able to eat or drink at all?

Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 10h

@magnetictears Thank you for responding! I actually was so freaked out about swallowing that I was spitting to avoid swallowing altogether. I met with a therapist yesterday which was super helpful so we are focusing on accepting the uncertainty of maybe I’ll be able to swallow normally but maybe I won’t. And today I was able to successfully eat and drink !!

samantha823

Date posted: Yesterday

I have this experience too!! It’s very frustrating

Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: Yesterday

@samantha823 Im so sorry you do that too- what techniques do you use to help get out of the loop?

trixiarmani

Date posted: Yesterday

Wow this is so validating omg I’ve been dealing with this for the past 2 days, it’s like a hyperawareness and I feel like if I swallow too hard or at the wrong time I could choke I’m SO sorry you’re dealing with this also it’s SO frustrating :(

Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 21h

@trixiarmani Yes! It’s the hyper awareness that has been driving me crazy. Have you talked to your therapist about this? I’m sorry you’re experiencing it too.

trixiarmani

Date posted: 17h

@Anonymous Thank you so much, it really helps to know that there are people out there feeling the same way ❤️ I’m actually brand new haha I have a scheduled call and hopefully I’ll start with a therapist soon!

Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 10h

@trixiarmani It really helps me as well to know people are struggling with the same thing❤️ I was feeling very alone before. Thank you for responding to this post. We got this!

trixiarmani

Date posted: 17h

Even when I don’t feel like it, I always remember there are people that are willing to help me get better! ❤️‍🩹 good luck friend!

MichaelVu2010

Date posted: 25w

Somatic Ocd

Hello, Yesterday I’ve suddenly had problems with swallowing and my anxiety. like im scared of choking and would have a panic attack every-time i try to swallow food or water. Is there anyway to treat this?

May :)

Date posted: 18w

Hyperawareness of My Body

Hey there everyone, first I would like to say I am very grateful for every single one of you on this platform and it feels so much better knowing that I can be heard. I’ve been hyperaware of my swallowing for 1-2 month. I feel like I have so much saliva in my mouth and I have to swallow and swallow. I feel the urge to swallow even I don’t NOTHING in my mouth, so I just swallow air. This has been really overwhelming and I feel like I can be so easily latched to other body part of my part. For example, I was conscious about my blinking and breathing for a few days, and now I get so anxious when I heard a weird sound my ears make after each sentence I speak. Is this somatic ocd or health concern ocd? I am so helpless and having a hard time to shift my attention. Does anyone have any suggestions or just words of encouragement would really help me at this moment. I REALLY appreciate your help. 💗🙏 Thank you !

berrybrynn

Date posted: 6w

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

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Physical compulsion causing distress

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