Bri007
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
YoureNotAloneYoureNotAlone
- Date posted
- 3y
I had really really bad health ocd. My therapist taught me something called urge surfing. Sit with the urge to check your temp, ribs, etc in your mind’s eye and “surf” it like a wave, keeping It in your mind and resisting doing it until it dies down or passes. To this day I have a different theme or two now but if I get really stressed I’ll find myself doing the same checks I did during my health ocd and I just kinda laugh to myself. If my broken ass brain can get through it, so can you! You got this
leosepagoleosepago
- Date posted
- 3y
this is helpful
Bri007Bri007
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
Thank you, I'm I think I'm scared to not give into the compulsions one it's so second nature so I have to be much more aware of it but two because I'm scared I'm putting my health in jeopardy. I somehow have to get over that to the point where I just want to focus on the anxiety and identify it as such rather than a health related issue.
saltnburnem saltnburnem
- Date posted
- 3y
I’m the same. I’m consistently checking my body and inside my mouth for signs of the worst. If I don’t check, then I’m not caring enough about my body. If I stop checking then I’ll find out too late that something is wrong and ultimately perish from it. I hate living this way.
Bri007Bri007
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
@saltnburnem Yes, I'm right there with you. It just took so much out of me to not check certain things I'm concerned about during my night time routine. Some days I'm able to stave off compulsions other days I just feel like I have no control. Have you found anything to be helpful at all?
saltnburnem saltnburnem
- Date posted
- 3y
@Bri007 Nothing. I’ve been having an anxiety attack since 11:30 this morning because I’m not supposed to check my body. It feels worse not to check.
MP5757MP5757
- Date posted
- 3y
The only way to stop it is to not give into compulsions. Sit with the anxiety, as much as that might be difficult it will be the best thing in the long run. It will make you feel better long-term
Bri007Bri007
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
Thank you for the support.... This is going to be very challenging.
Bri007Bri007
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
Thank you 🙏
Bri007Bri007
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
Thank you both so much. The visualization of riding a wave sounds like a good technique to try.
Lms526Lms526
- Date posted
- 3y
The anxiety itself is like a wave as well. It always follows a similar pattern. It surges, peaks, and then declines. The surge is the worst because your anxiety goes crazy and the urge to do a compulsion is so strong. It feels like an eternity. But it really only lasts a couple minutes. This is essentially what doing ERP is like. I did nothing but give into my compulsions for over 30 years because I didn't know I had OCD. Giving into a compulsion does relieve your anxiety. But the relief is very short lived and it makes your OCD worse. But doing ERP will give you long lasting anxiety relief and it basically reprograms your brain.
leosepagoleosepago
- Date posted
- 3y
this is so true, i didnt realize my checking and googling and all of that were making me worse, because now i cant function without doing it. learning to deal with the feelings will help in the long run
MP5757MP5757
- Date posted
- 3y
Yes, the goal is to except the uncertainty that you might be OK and you might not be OK. Living with that uncertainty is what will kill and starve OCD. Do not compulsive, that OCD wins.
saltnburnem saltnburnem
- Date posted
- 3y
That’s the hard part. I HAVE to know I’ll be ok.
MP5757MP5757
- Date posted
- 3y
When you are faced with a question about your health, just say I don’t know. Don’t search for the answer
MP5757MP5757
- Date posted
- 3y
Yes it will be - you will be okay. Feel free to reach out to me anytime over Instagram, mlm575757 is my Insta.
Bri007Bri007
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
Thanks you. I have been in ERP therapy in the past but if you don't give it you're all it's never going to work. I think that I was just I'm so stuck at major that I had to get better at identifying the compressions because it was just part of my life. Thank you so much for the support
Bri007Bri007
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
Sorry speech to text
Bri007Bri007
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
Thank you I have been in ERP therapy in the past but if you don't give it you're all it's never going to work. I think I was stuck in doing the compulsions it was so second nature that I had to get better at identifying the compulsions because it was just a part of my life. This time around I am forcing myself to do as much as I can but I may need the help of medication
Lms526Lms526
- Date posted
- 3y
And that is totally okay. There is no shame in needing medication.
Bri007Bri007
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
I appreciate that, I've been trying to do without but I think if I throw myself into some low level ERP and can't even get past that then I'm going to have to really rethink medication. But we'll say I'm just getting into restarting and developing a new hierarchy with my new therapist so I'm kind of going back to my foundation
Related posts
Ellen_l
- Date posted
- 25w
Advice?
I’m having a big OCD relapse and would like to hear anyone’s tips on how to be present and healthily deal with these intrusive thoughts and the “need” to preform compulsions. Thank you!!
tryancav
- Date posted
- 23w
Health OCD
It started when I became an adult, and started receiving my mental health diagnosis. I hyper fixated on each and every action I did and how it could be related to my diagnosis’s. It then lead to fixation to my physical health — making appointments and seeing every specialist I can to rule out every possibility. I currently have been suffering with obstructive sleep. I woke up the past few days with severe pain from the lack of sleep whilst believing I was oversleeping. Luckily my fit watch tracks my sleep cycle and it turns out I am not receiving any sleep. I had an extreme panic attack — bursting into tears on the phone with my mom wondering what this case might be. She told me it could be sleep apnea and that a simple sleep study could figure this out. However, knowing my family history I made appointments to every specialist I can to make sure it is nothing serious. The unknown of health can be scary to me. Watching my mother suffer with her physical health chronically since I was a child lead me to be very conscious and aware of how my body is functioning. This morning was one of the worst moments of physical pain. I should just take one step at a time with the sleep doctor instead of taking measures to see every specialist that could pertain with this issue. However, that is very hard to me. I don’t want to ever wake up in the pain I was this morning. Does anyone else suffer with health-related OCD? And if so, how do you find a sense of ease during moments like I expressed?
Kammy
- Date posted
- 22w
This is draining
I started dealing with OCD when I became fixated on health issues, particularly the fear of contracting a life-threatening disease. If I experienced any kind of medical symptom, no matter how small, that even remotely hinted at something potentially fatal, it would drive me crazy, and I couldn’t stop obsessing over it. Then one day, I started having intrusive thoughts about accidentally hitting someone with my car, and I would end up driving in circles to check if I had. Eventually, I found myself overwhelmed by a flood of new obsessive thoughts and compulsions. One day, while I was at the park, a squirrel came near me, and for some reason, I felt like it attacked me. I Googled it and learned that squirrels could carry rabies, which spiraled me into a deep fear of rabies. I became consumed with the thought I received a bite from a squirrel, raccoon, or bat any time I’m in areas that trigger me. It started off only being inside then transferred to even being in my own home. This made me obsess over every physical sensation in my body, compulsively checking to make sure nothing was wrong. One compulsion that I hated the most would to be putting rubbing alcohol on me to make sure that I had no open wounds. Every day feels like I’m walking around in a fog of anxiety, constantly worrying that I won’t even make it to old age. Sometimes, it gets so overwhelming that I just want it all to end. It stresses me so bad at times to where my brain feels like I’ve been studying all day.
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