does anyone know if ocd can give you an urge to run away and act on it for no reason it’s like this strong feeling that i have to do it or else. or if it can give you physical sensations that feel like you’re going to pass out if you don’t go to your room right away its going to happen and it feels so real

no it’s just so strange. like i have OCD and a couple months ago i had a thought what if i pass out right here and all this sudden i had thai feeling in my legs and getting all these sensations that feel so real like i am going to pass out but i never do and i dont even lose my vision or anything and it’s been going on for months and the only way that feeling goes away is if i run to my room like this strong urge to run away or else it will happen and also like this urge that i need to sit down right now or else it will happen. it’s gotten so bad i don’t leave my house or room or anything because of this urge it terrifies me and triggers panic attacks i never had. i know it’s irrational bc i can also pass out in my room but according to my brain as long as i’m in my room it all fades all the sensations

also what is disoriented?

@clambam67 That still is disorientation! Are you currently seeking ERP for this?

@s no but i am in counseling. could you pls explain what disorientation is ? and erp

@clambam67 Disorientation is common when you encounter anxiety. It’s like feeling “jelly” - like you’re shaky, you don’t know if you’re gonna pass out, you feel a bit lost - what you’re experiencing is disorientation because your thoughts are distressing you so much that you kind of lose connection. ERP is used to treat OCD - it exposes you to your fears and you’re essentially teaching your mind to not do any compulsions and not react to those fears being exposed. But I totally understand if you are from an area that doesn’t use ERP (I don’t do ERP because of where I live), but some therapists use cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness and acceptance therapy. What techniques have you used in counselling?

@s i’ve learned grounding techniques and everything and feel breathing and the mindfulness thing. and i talk to my psychiatrist again soon to talk abt meds bc i tried prozac and this whole thing started with panic attacks and the fear of fainting and i stop the meds and feel the same so idk what caused this or if ocd just picked up on the one time i had a panic attack

If it is a panic attack, you might handle it a bit differently, so that’s why I was wondering.

i think my ocd has gotten so bad i start to have panic attacks but sometimes my ocd like i feel like it plays tricks and mimicks the panic attacks making it feel like i’m gonna have one but i don’t. like i feel like it’s an obsession. it’s like if i don’t do this fast enough it’s gonna happen again or run to my room it’s gonna happen again. like the compulsions and they send me in a panic causing those sensations

@clambam67 I’m sorry, that’s rough! Do you think you could try some methods for coping with panic while remaining where you are, ie get a drink of water, breathing exercises, sit down if you’re feeling dizzy? That way you’re still caring for yourself and your needs while also not giving in to the compulsion to go to a certain place. You could also try deciding ahead of time when you’re going to try and withstand the compulsion and when it’s too much. We can’t do ERP all the time, we have to start small, so starting with a slightly easier situation might help, especially if you know you don’t have to do it every time. Then you can gradually work up to handling harder ones.