I’ve been struggling with OCD as long as I can remember and I’ve built up a very good tool belt of ways to cope, but I barely find any information or coping strategies for somatic OCD. The worst somatic OCD is when I feel like I’m suffocating. My brain hyper fixates on my breathing and no matter what I do I rarely ever feel like I got a good breath. I take so many deep breaths to the point my chest will hurt from it or I force myself to yawn because for some reason that also “helps” but it’s really just a compulsion. It lasts for up to months and months at a time and I feel like I’m going insane. I can’t focus on anything or even enjoy spending time with my friends, significant other or just enjoy any activities. I also have Health OCD so I start self diagnosing myself with health issues when the somatic OCD starts and it feels like I’m drowning in this crippling thought process lately. I’d love to hear about anyone’s similar experiences and how you found peace and how you coped if you’re willing to share.

I was just diagnosed. I always geniunly thought something was wrong physically. I’ve had countless breathing tests and inhalers that don’t work. All tests come back fine, but I’m still holding my breath a lot or only exhaling which makes me yawn all day long. It’s so frustrating. I find myself thinking, in out in out. In order to calm me down. But even then sometimes I start second guessing if that’s how I’m supposed to breathe and I’m constantly trying to correct it.

Hey, I had this too after I had my first panic attack. Constant thinking about my breathing and feeling heavy chested- thinking I didn’t breathe in enough air. Eventually it went away when I got my school placement. Now I’m back with another OCD obsession of how noticing almost even breathing in and out movement of my chest /diaphragm. Do you guys ever get that?

Did either of you overcome it? I feel I think a lot about my breathing too and I have in the past a few times but not consistently

PLEASE YOUR NOT ALONE I DEAL WITH THE SAME THING PLEASE IM HERE FOR YOU I KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE

I’ve dealt with this for a long time. Ever since I moved here to the United States I developed a sense of being aware of my breathing where I couldn’t even sleep at night and I would jumó up around the bed trying to make the breathing obsession go away. I couldn’t focus on anything I would try to do schoolwork and my breathing was distracting me and I couldn’t focus at all