My health related OCD has been so bad this morning. It's not even 9:00 a.m. and I've already spent 2 hours compulsively checking my temperature my rib upper abdomen area my arms, under my chin. I don't know how to stop it and it's really bad this morning if anyone has any help I need it

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

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.

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

Thank you for the support.... This is going to be very challenging.

Thank you 🙏

Thank you both so much. The visualization of riding a wave sounds like a good technique to try.

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.

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.

When you are faced with a question about your health, just say I don’t know. Don’t search for the answer

Yes it will be - you will be okay. Feel free to reach out to me anytime over Instagram, mlm575757 is my Insta.

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

Sorry speech to text

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

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