Has anybody had much luck with somatic ocd? I feel like that's a pretty tough nut to crack.

I used to have it really badly and it doesn’t affect me so much anymore. I will sometimes still do manual but the difference is I don’t let thoughts about it consume me. If I notice I’m doing it I do something to distract me and I move on. It doesn’t occupy my head space like it used to and I used to think I’d never figure it out but the truth is that one day all these worries just won’t seem as big anymore

I'm on the upswing from it right now. It's not fully conquered but I've been fighting breathing since April and only in the last few weeks have I kinda figured it out. I did a lot of research on pramayana breathing and did some intentional exposure to manual breathing by doing it for like, 2 straight hours, and then ultimately had a moment of "I'm fucking tired of this, I'm just going to meditatively check in to my environment." These events happened sequentially, and since then I have had very little anxiety about it. When I do, I keep my mind focused on the concept that mindfully paying attention to my breath is actually exposure and that I am willing to sit with the discomfort of it. I then flit in and out of paying attention to my environment until the urge to monitor my breath has fully passed. It took a LONG time though.

So you are mindful of your breathing and your awareness of it passes? I have a constant focus on salivation and swallowing that I've had for 2 years straight

I never lose awareness of it. Its such a tiring thing