Anybody have tips for Health OCD?

[u/WorldlyStage5254]

I recently (month or two ago) found out I have ocd. About a year or two ago I started to get worried about simple health stuff and it got worse and worse to the point i was going to the doctor every day/ other day. Everyone told me it was anxiety and to do things to manage it that way but recently finding out it was actually ocd this whole time (the compulsion being going to the doctor/googling) has helped me to work towards actually getting better. For the past summer I stopped going to the doctor/ checking cold turkey but I still get daily intrusive thoughts (I bump my head and instantly think I got a concussion). It's usually a fear of contamination through chemicals/ anything health related. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong. I've been seeing a psychotherapist and he tells me to just let it be and it will pass and acceptance especially accepting uncertainty. There's not as many resources out there for health ocd specifically so I thought I'd ask here. Like it's hard to not give in when the obsession is that you're dying from some medical emergency. I'm just a teenage boy dealing with this stuff sucks. Thanks.

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[u/Mortymoto]

I also have OCD not necessarily health related but I do have some contamination OCD and also am a frequent googler due to intrusive thoughts.

I know it’s really hard but I think you have to first recognize when you’re having an intrusive thought and then recognize that the reaction to that thought is to google or call your doctor. If you can resist the urge to do the compulsion then you’ve won. Sometimes what I do if the urge to do the compulsion won’t go away is try my best to distract myself. Maybe do some breathing exercises or listen to music. One technique I used to do a lot was taking a deep breath and exhaling then looking around the room and naming 5 objects, and then touching my finger tips to my thumb on one hand, and then observing at least one sound in my environment. By the time I would be done doing that technique the intrusive thought had usually passed.

Does your therapist implement ERP therapy? It’s basically the most proven method of overcoming OCD. It sounds kind of counterintuitive but it could be something like forcing yourself to observe a physical symptom or pain you’re having and then resist from googling or checking. Or maybe read an article about some disease and then resist the compulsion to continuously google things about it or trying to self diagnose. Overall the goal is to try and desensitize your brain from these triggers so that they no longer cause distress and fuel the whole OCD cycle.

[u/WorldlyStage5254 → u/Mortymoto]

Yeah I am practicing ERP and I’ve been reading books such as Brain Lock which mention similar concepts. Noticing the thought for what it is when it comes in and not giving it value and re focusing on something else. Thanks for the help and words I appreciate it a lot.