View Full Version : Obsessive swallowing
I suffer from OCD/PANIC/PHOBIAS and most recently i cannot stop thinking about the act of swallowing. I believe it stems from my obsession with breathing or the inability to do so.
The thought I might choke scares me. From this I have developed a habit cough and a spitting 'tic' which means i get through more tissues than the average human! I know its gross and really want to stop, but I can't!
Swallowing for me has switched from a subconcious act to a VERY concious one! It gets worse when i am stressed.
I would appriciate any advice on how to get over such an obsession!
Thanks
Allie
THE VOICE INSIDE YOUR HEAD IS NOT THE VOICE OF GOD. IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE IT THINKS IT IS! Cheri Huber
Henry_Rollins
16-02-06, 21:49
I am also a hyper swallower. I had a panic attack a few months back and my throat totally closed up on me, I have had trouble swallowing ever since! I swallow over and over and over until I have no more saliva and my throat and esophogus are super dry! Once that happens a panic attack is right around the corner. I have to carry vitamin C or Jolly Rancher candies with me to stimulate my salivary glands. I cannot stop thinking about swallowing. I wish I could go back to the days when I just did it, rather than think about it!
Many people in the "Health Anxiety" section have this same issue. If you get any answers, please let me know?
nomorepanic
16-02-06, 22:46
Well I am the same - still suffering from swallowing issues and no cure - just have to stop thinking about it apparently
Nicola
I get the same thing, only with breathing. It's very annoying.
It's supposed to be automatic, but I do it consciously. And the more I think about it and the more I try to "control" it, the more messed up it gets. Sometimes I focus on my swallowing and blinking too - all of these being automatic body processes that are supposed to happen without me even noticing. I know for me the breathing thing happens when I'm anxious, that's when I focus on it because I'm afraid that I'm not breathing correctly, that I might choke, suffocate, stop breathing, die, etc. I don't have any advice on how to overcome this, unfortunately. I suppose the way to go would be to let your subconscious mind and your body do their job - which would be to take care of the swallowing, while you focus on other things.
Take care
<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">I get the same thing, only with breathing. It's very annoying.
It's supposed to be automatic, but I do it consciously. And the more I think about it and the more I try to "control" it, the more messed up it gets. Sometimes I focus on my swallowing and blinking too - all of these being automatic body processes that are supposed to happen without me even noticing. I know for me the breathing thing happens when I'm anxious, that's when I focus on it because I'm afraid that I'm not breathing correctly, that I might choke, suffocate, stop breathing, die, etc. I don't have any advice on how to overcome this, unfortunately. I suppose the way to go would be to let your subconscious mind and your body do their job - which would be to take care of the swallowing, while you focus on other things.
Take care
<div align="right">Originally posted by lotus - 17 February 2006 : 12:25:35</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">
I have the same problem too! In fact I think my swallowing problem has come out of my obsession with my breathing and choking. It all started when I had a few panic attacks and pretty soon I found myself obsessed with breathing. Thoughts flash through my mind all the time, my breathing is going to stop, I'm going to choke, my lungs are seizing up, etc. I take nearly every breath conciously like I do with the swallowing! Apart from when I'm asleep and my stupid obsessions can't get to me!
THE VOICE INSIDE YOUR HEAD IS NOT THE VOICE OF GOD. IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE IT THINKS IT IS! Cheri Huber
I too am suffering from repetitive swallowing. Oh it is so tiring and I'm just so glad I've found this website where you have talked about this. I have never written on any of these sites before and thought that noone else suffered from this.
PEb
i've had this problem since march last yr i can't stop swallowing when it first happened i thought there was something wrong as i never had this before. So the doctor told me it was down to anxiety so my anxeity must of been really bad for me to get it.
It has calmed down a bit now but i have noticed when i get more anxious i seem to swallow more i'm gald i'm not the only one with this.
linda xx
Try this, gentlemen, IT DOES WORK!
PH, take a look at your posts. In them you will find that even in your writing your obsession prevails. Take it easy, quit averting your focus. You say that when you stop meditating then the spit stops which is why I mention to observe the whole process of salivation to swallowing without judging your self, the act or any thing else. Take a step back and allow your self to examine your mind while you are in your meditative practice. Quit giving in to the easy way of condemning your self for not doing things the you think they should be done.
Don't listen to what you are thinking, only observe and let it go. Don't give into the condemnation of your mind/body, just observe. Don't force your self to stop or take extreme measures to conform, just observe. Quit reacting to your swallowing and act by observing the swallowing. Breathe, observe. Feel, Don't judge/lable, breathe. Work to control your mind, don't let the mind control your work.
I had to giggle when I read this PH, it's weird but in a funny way.
First off, definately give Friend's suggestion a try, it really works.
Second and most importantly; You're obsessing and reacting and losing focus in your meditation. If you really want to get to the root of the swallowing then search for the cause. I suggest using a vipassianic method of observation.
Instead of sitting there freaking out about swallowing (OMG I swallowed, I'm swallowing again, I've just swallowed, did anyone hear me swallow? Etc.), just sit there and observe the swallowing, observe the feeling of the entire process of swallowing. Don't lable, don't judge (especially your self), don't give any part of the swallowing process a name. Put your attention in your mouth or on your tongue or that part that is salivating and just feel it. Observe the sensation in your mouth, observe the process of tongue movements, observe the process of throat constriction and then observe your mind in this process. If it helps, visualize watching your self but maintain the non-judgment and non-lableing. Here's the real mind bender: Think about what you are thinking and try to realize how it contributes to the constant desire to swallow.
Often, by confronting a behavior with an equanimous mind we can discover why we engage in such a behavior which in turns helps to allay that behavior. Also understand that you are experiencing Aversion. That aversion is leading you down an emotionally/psychologically reactive path; forcing your self to stop is part of the aversion. The question is, why are you swallowing so much it hurts? By observing the swallowing process and observing the mind during this process you may find the reason and be able to calmly stop.
the original post is here.
http://www.dharmapunx.com/msg/post.asp?method=ReplyQuote&REPLY_ID=2823&TOPIC_ID=727&FORUM_ID=4
Hey,
I have recently generated this exact same problem, and a few others similar but they're all related in the fact that i'm obsessed with not being able to control my own thinking. Knowing I can't control my own thinking, my conscience feels the need to further prove this, by giving me tasks to struggle with, such as swallowing and monitoring my own breathing. I have only just discovered this 'problem' over the last few weeks and now it's embedded into my thinking the longer it goes on for the longer it will be to overcome.
I've taken the view that like anything else i'm hoping my mind becomes bored of it, to the extent that it no longer interests me to think about it, kind of like Italian football :]
I understand this topic is very old but several points I was able to relate to, the fear that there is something wrong with me, to the extent where I feel I am going insane, and viewing this topic relieved me to some extent. But I do feel the problem is very apparent in me at this time as I struggle to work, as well as finish my current University course in which I have only three months left.
Only just finidng this problem i'm in no position to suggest any help for anybody, all I wish to say is I feel your pain too.
I am so glad I found this thread today. This is my #1 problem with my anxiety. It is my swallowing/breathing. When I focus on my breathing and swallowing I can barely eat because I am scared of choking and getting stopped up. I start to swallow constantly and feel like the end is near as my mouth gets real dry. Reading this today made me already feel better but realize that is an uphill battle. All this thing is a mind game and when I don't think about it, it is amazing how I breathe and swallow naturally. I hope everyone is getting better and can realize that everything will be ok.
smileyfacedkill
28-03-08, 18:03
I suffer from OCD/PANIC/PHOBIAS and most recently i cannot stop thinking about the act of swallowing. I believe it stems from my obsession with breathing or the inability to do so.
The thought I might choke scares me. From this I have developed a habit cough and a spitting 'tic' which means i get through more tissues than the average human! I know its gross and really want to stop, but I can't!
Swallowing for me has switched from a subconcious act to a VERY concious one! It gets worse when i am stressed.
I would appriciate any advice on how to get over such an obsession!
Thanks
Allie
THE VOICE INSIDE YOUR HEAD IS NOT THE VOICE OF GOD. IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE IT THINKS IT IS! Cheri Huber
I didn't think anyone else suffered from these problems that I've been going through. I've had these obsessions with involuntary actions since I was young. It started with blinking, then it went to twitches then itching then to swallowing, breathing and my heartbeat. It's really weird. I've been able to overcome most of them. What worked for me is not thinking about overcoming it. I used to try to control it, but that only made me think about it more and made it hang around more.
I've had this swallowing obsession now for about 2 years. I don't know why, but I just can't seem to get rid of it. I've started to get better with keeping it under a minimum by practicing some mind control.
I've checked on some sights about controlling the urge to do involuntary actions voluntarily. There's this site that claims that through increased brain power and mental methods that you can voluntarily control involuntary actions.
My question is does anyone know about any methods related to this? It would sure get rid of the uncontrollable feeling we have about our impulses.
I do this to. i dont like eating anything but soft foods like rice and pasta and even those i mash up. i spit into tissues alot to and i sometimes dont like going to sleep as im afraid ill stop breathing in my sleep. i also worry i might swallow my tounge. i do agree with Michael R, when i dont think about it it dosnt bother me, its very hard not to think about it tho, maybe you could try taking your mind off it by doing something you enjoy, I.E: reading, drawing, playing video games, watching tv, playing music ect. hope everyone is ok and trying to stay positive although its very hard there is always light at the end of the tunnel :) xxxx
I have been suffering with this compulsive swallowing for about three months now. I have never had panic attacks before in my life. They started in January when I had a reaction to medication taken for a sinus infection. The sinus infection went but the panic stayed andd with it the compulsive swallowing. At first I had extra saliva in my mouth which I thought caused the swallowing but now I swallow al the time even without the extra saliva. Some days it is worse than others. It starts as soon as I wake up. It drives me crazy. Has anyone thought about being hypnotized to try to get rid of this compulsion. I amso glad I found this site. My doctors have been telling me that I am the only one with this problem.
KittyLittle
14-04-08, 21:17
Hello
Gosh this swallowing thing is soooooooo horrible. Firstly YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE!! NO NO NO NO NO YOU ARE NOT!
From this forum it is gradually becoming clear to me that many many people with anxiety suffer from swallowing/throat/choking/neck tightness/tongue basically throat and chest related things that are ONLY a symptom of the anxiety. i say only but I am not playing them down.
I know its hard but try to think about it like this. If it doesn't bother you when you are asleep then it must happen automatically while your asleep, I know its hard by why not (even for just a few minutes) try trusting your body to do it automatically when your awake? Just a suggestion.
Also how old are you now? Probably an adult or well on your way to adulthood, if so then your body whether you have been thinking about it or not has coped perfectly well with breathing and swallowing up till now so it is more than capable or doing these things.
Do you have any old video tape of yourself before the swallowing/throat/whatever thing started? Now this may be a bid wierd but if you do have yourself on tape try watching it and watch to see if you can see yourself on video swallowing, breathing etc, without thinking about it, if you can then this proves that you can do it without thinking about it.
Also if you can stop yourself being scared of the thoughts that come with these symptoms and say something like 'ok its just my mind trying to test me but I am not interested or bothered about the tests it wants to do' then this may help. Try talking to your therapist or reading on how to help stop yourself from being scared by thoughts and feelings.
I think many of these symptoms are made worse or even caused by muscle tension, to prove my theory try tighting your muscles in your mouth/throat, this make its worse doesn't it (sorry) but surely it makes sense that if you relax these muscles it could (and I am pretty sure it will) make it feel better.
It's even better if you can relax these muscles without having to think about relaxing them. Now, I tried taking Valarina tablets the other day and found that while I was waiting for it to help my mind relaxed I actually found that my throat and chest was far more relaxed - and would you believe it when I ready that Valarian (which is in Valerina) is actually a very effective muscle relaxant!
Sorry for the long post but hope this helps.
this is an awful fear and sensation.
i have had an obsession for over 7 years. i have to check i can swallow all the time. my throat then tends to get so dry and this in turn makes me feel worse.
a very difficult problem to explain to people and thereaction makes me feel worse as i then get so anxious when they ask questions that i really cannot swallow and my mouth goes dry too.
because i check contantly i cannot travel as i am scared that when i do i wont be able to swallow. need to be near a hospital!!!!!!!!
sad but true x
Hi all,
I'm a "newbie" to this forum, but have been posting on another health board about the obsessive swallowing problem. I ran into a couple of people on there that also had the same problem, as well as another person through another website. It was a relief, in a way, to know that there are other people out there like myself. Perhaps a better word is "comforting" to know that other people go through this. I sympathize so much with everyone, let me first say. I think I've suffered from various symptoms of OCD my entire life and didn't know it. They have come and gone throughout the years - I guess waxed and waned, you would say. In addition to focusing on my swallowing, I have also focused on my blinking, heartbeat and breathing in the past. I've also had some of the classic checking, counting, re-reading and other symptoms, just to name a few. My first bout with the swallowing problem was while in high school, quite some number of years ago. As crazy as this may sound, I remember the very moment that it first started. I was watching a soap opera and one of the soap characters was lying in a hospital bed. I noticed him swallowing a lot and then I started focusing on my own swallowing. I was also taking Driver's Ed. during the summer and I had a big crush on the instructor. :blush: I remember being bothered about being in a quiet, enclosed car with several guys. What if they heard me swallow? My mother had also just gotten re-married and we were moving to a new state. I think that the stress and anxiety of my life situation at the time started it all. The swallowing episode probably lasted through high school and then I simply remember it going away after I graduated. I didn't do anything - it simply disappeared as quickly as it had come on. I do remember telling my mom that I felt like I always had a lot of extra saliva in my mouth. This could be due to acid reflux as well, because now that I'm older and take my medication, the saliva problem has gotten much better for me. Anyway, she took me to the dr. and, of course, he found nothing wrong with me. I've heard the same complaint about extra saliva from others with the anxiety/swallowing problem. My guess is that we're either too focused on it or we're not swallowing normally like we used to or maybe anxiety really does cause us to produce more saliva. Who knows? The swallowing problem/excessive saliva problem stayed away for several years, even though I did have other symptoms (less annoying ones) come and go. Back in around March of 2006, the swallowing problem slowly started rearing its ugly head again under extreme anxiety. I was having relationship problems at home and had met someone who I really liked on the internet. I started thinking about the "old problem" and before you knew it, I had made it manifest in my life again. My first therapist did not believe that I had OCD, but merely "anxiety manifesting itself into physical symptoms". I did biofeedback, group therapy and individual therapy, all the while draining my bank accts. and not feeling all that much better. I tried another therapist who did more biofeedback and eventually nothing but "talk therapy". I liked her and the anxiety was subsiding by then, but not the obsessive swallowing problem. Problem is, I can hide the problem and make it go away when I chew gum, oddly enough. I somehow relax and don't do the swallowing thing. In fact, I barely even chew the gum. It's just like a "security blanket" in my mouth, as odd as that may sound. I don't think the therapist realized how much I was suffering, because I could control it in front of her. Anyway, I switched to an OCD specialist and he, himself, started swallowing furiously while I was in therapy with him. He said that "his mouth was filling up with saliva" - great! $180 an hr. and he's possibly OCD himself! I finally am in therapy with someone whom I really like and who specializes in OCD. We are working on my "little" issues first through exposure and response behavior therapy and I would rather imagine that eventually we will tackle the swallowing issues. Again, I can control the swallowing with gum in my mouth. I guess that's a real Godsend for me, though. I can go out in public and not worry about if I'm swallowing too much. This problem has given me some social anxiety and I used to be so NORMAL and love to do things and be around people. If I ever did feel the swallowing problem come on, I would "snap out of it" and it would go away, as quickly as it came on, when I removed myself from the stressful situation. Anyway, I think I'm making small improvements, but I'm not 100% yet. If you do pre-occupy your mind with something else, the swallowing problem WILL and DOES GO AWAY. I truly believe that good nutrition and exercise are also vital to our recovery, along with faith in God :noangel: as our ultimate Healer. Relaxation is also key to beating this disorder and stress reduction. I believe that behavior therapy also is necessary, to help us realize our irrational thoughts and to expose us to the very things that make us anxious and bring this condition on. I'm learning to also increase my serotonin through diet alone. Sorry the post is so long, but thanks for letting me share my story. You are not alone. Keep the faith. :yesyes: P.S.) Has anyone tried medication for the swallowing obsession or hypnosis?
Hi everybody. Only now I know i'm not alone into this horrible problem, I have been suffering this swallowing obsession for 6 months now. Now my throat is so irritated and it hurts sometimes. It started so suddenly, but since that moment I could never stop thinking of it, I swallow all the time, with or without saliva. Sometimes I think what if I can never get rid of this, o God, i'm desperate!
SuperInfinity
03-10-08, 04:25
I've got the swallowing obsession as well, I hate it so much.
The worst thing is that sometimes it seems like it could move on to breathing, blinking etc. THAT'S what I'm afraid most of. OCD is a horrible, horrible, wretched thing.
You know the hypnotherapist I went to sounded like he hardly believed me. He was just so nonchalent about the whole thing. He talked to me like it was something stupid, like something I was just making up.
And in a way I was GLAD he was like that, cause what I was afraid of was that he was going to get all panicky as WELL. I stopped going to him before it could have any real effect though, just cause I didn't like his attitude and how he spoke a little sharply to me.
The worst thing is that i can't tell anyone, I can't talk to my friends and not even my family, because i'm afrid they'll react on this negatively, I mean they could get obsessed as well! But i'm feeling much metter since last night when i found this website and I found that there are ppl with this problem, because i thought I'm the only one. I wish I could meet or chat with someone with this problem, and talk about it withought the fear that i could implant this horror thing to them!
SuperInfinity
04-10-08, 22:54
yeah, we feel your pain onemore.
You can put me on msn if you want, it's: magicalmystichero@hotmail.com
Some people legitimately just don't seem to get it, they don't think about it or something. The hypnotherapist seemed to view it as if it was something CRAZY I was talking about, something that didn't exist at all that I just made up. On the other hand I expected him to get into a panic about it and maybe start swallowing as well, I thought maybe I'd ruin his life! But he just seemed bored by the whole thing. And it was just so weird, I don't know how he could be bored or nonchalent about the whole thing I was in such a panic over.
Oh, thank you! I have been up all night constantly swallowing air and spitting excess saliva in cups and dry heaving belches of large air. I have aerophagia (excess belcing and stomach upset) due to this condition. I haven't slept in 32 hours. I have severe anxiety, panic, fear and phobia. I blame my worrier-what ifs personality. I have recently started taking 25 mg of Sertraline (Zoloft) and this morning had to take a 0.25 mg Xanax to calm a massive panic attack. This is an embarrassing, gross, obsessive issue. I started having this problem 3 years ago. My Husband told me he noticed I slept with my mouth open and I swallowed lots of air when I drank....and THIS is where I started paying attention to it and trying to correct/control it. I had sinus surgery, for no reason. It changed nothing, except now I am sensitive to smells, too. I was treated for anxiety 3 years ago with Zoloft 25mg daily. It worked!! All anxiety and habits, GONE! Stopped taking meds April 2007. And slowly the stress, anxiety, panic, fear, phobia and habits all came back and here I am again.....loosing my little mind and feeling like I am going die. I think it is an anxious habit for me. I only notice it when I am anxious or when I think about it. But when I try to think about it to control and stop it, I do it more. I do it alot when having dental work done. I have severe dental anxiety, not to mention all other types of anxiety, that I've had since i was like 4 years old. I am hoping meds, exercise, distractions and cognitive-behavioral therapy will help me. I hate meds and want to get off again. I am 24, have a husband and daughter and I need my life back. I'm missing out. I hope all you find what works. Here is a book I am going to buy and recommend it to you all "The Worry Cure: Ways to Stop worrying from Stopping You" Good luck to us all. Glad I am not alone!!
Hello everyone,
Reading about all of your experiences has been really comforting. As most of you said, I also thought I was the only person to have such an odd obsession. But I knew it was just a symptom and not the problem itself. Reaching the roots of the problem is the tricky bit. So far I haven't had much luck with that I'm afraid.
I've ben experimenting different methods though and I have a few tips.
1. Meditation- just concentrate on the route your breath follows when you inhale and exhale, nothing else.
2. chewing a gum
3. drinking plenty of water
4. exercise
5. stretching muscles
I still have the problem of over swallowing and I'm determined to overcome it. I'll focus on the four above and then see what happens.
Good luck with your battle, Cheers
Hello all--
I have been through a fair amount of suffering with this fixation. Not as much as some, I know, but I have certainly come to terms recently with the reality of the pain. Luckily, it is not always so bad, but there are times when it becomes very difficult to see past the dark times.
I would like to offer one, support--I am open to talk about my experience with this, or just add myself as another who is out there. But also, I have been experimenting with meditation and I would highly recommend it. There are many books (one that has been mentioned on this website a fair amount is John Kabat Zinn's Full Catastrophe Living).
There are also plenty of resources on the web, used books, and community events to check into. Try typing in "OCD and meditation" in the google bar and you might find something.
Meditation is not just about relaxation, it's about controlling your mind. It can be very, very difficult, and very frustrating, but KEEP at it. Remember: there is actually no goal, not of enlightenment, not of the elimination of suffering. The results will not be immediate, but I guarantee if you keep at it, you will feel something.
On aside, for those of you with the swallowing issue, if you are meditating keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth. You will still probably be salivating, but swallow when necessary, be AWARE of it, and have an intention, but just let it pass. Like watching clouds in the sky as they say.
Any questions just PM me... I'm not full of answers but I might have some ideas.
Just wondering how everyone is doing with their swallowing issues? It is true if you keep your mind occupied, that it can totally go away. I personally find that if I get my myself involved in cooking, the OCD will go away. I also recently noticed that when I took at break from work and home to travel and take care of my mom after double knee replacement surgery, I had almost no swallowing issues at all. I think I was so busy cooking, cleaning and taking care of my mom, that I didn't have time to be idle and focus on the swallowing. I also seriously think that being away from my stressful relationship at home and away from my stressful work environment, helped immensely. My boss is very verbally abusive to me, in spite of my many conversations with her to stop her behavior. I also exercised at my mom's quite a bit. They say that exercise can actually surpass the results of medication, I read. I'm not down-playing medication, though. If it works and that's what you elect to do, I'm all for it. How many on here have been helped by medication to make your swallowing issues go away? I read one post where it had helped. I'm sometimes wondering if I should have gone on medication back when this first started? Any opinions? Was it a Godsend for anyone on here? I had this same problem back in high school and then it went away on its own. Back then I didn't know it was OCD. I lived for many years without it, so it was rather frustrating when it came back, like why me again, Lord? I still keep my faith, though, in spite of everything and know that God is capable of healing anything and everything - nothing is too hard for Him. : ) Just curious how many of you on this board with the swallowing issue are able to discuss it with your family or friends? I don't want my daughter or other half to know I have it. I wouldn't want to suggest this problem to anyone, although my therapist says that she doesn't get it from me. Maybe that's part of the OCD to think we can give this to someone by just talking about it with them. It's just so difficult to explain it to someone who hasn't had it. I read these posts and it's like, "yes, that's right, that's exactly how it is". I do believe the more we try and control it or think about it, the worse it gets. Social settings are difficult for me, but I manage to somehow control it and my friends and family have never once noticed my issues. I do not want to be considered abnormal by anyone. My therapist says that talking about it is a form of exposure therapy and is good for me, because I'm not avoiding talking about it. Has anyone tried biofeedback for it? I had it done for awhile - helps alot with anxiety, but can't say that the obsessive swallowing was cured by it. I'm praying that my burdon will be lifted soon, like it was previously. God bless everyone - you are in my thoughts and my prayers. I'm going to increase my exercise again and see if that helps with my stress/anxiety levels. danni
SuperInfinity
20-11-08, 18:30
I'm doing pretty well with it Dannic1, it doesn't bother me as much anymore I'm glad to say. I get it sometimes still and it really annoys me... but I think I've learned to deal with it.
I just wanted to say I also suffer from obsessive/compulsive swallowing. I have come to deal with this in 4 ways. 1, I take an anitdepressant to stabilize my mood, 2, I see a cognitive behavioral therapist who is helping me to over come my anxieties associated with these intrusive thoughts. 3, I carry a bottle of water with me almost everywhere, and 4, I try and keep my mind and body busy as much as possible. Hope these suggestions help. Granted there not a cure all, more a means of coping.:)
Hi to everyone, I have been suffering from social phobia since I was 14 and some automatic thoughts which are probably related to OCD since I was 19. Beside my SA, I started to suffer from neck tension/tighten in public at the age of 19. Then, after a severe and long lasting (3 weeks) upper respiratory tract infection, neck tension worsened and I also started to suffer from excessive swallowing at the age of 21. I was also told that I had a chronic sinusitis and deviated septum while i had that upper respiratory tract infection for 3 weeks. Finally, I started to suffer from excessive salivation at the middle age of 24. I will be 26 in this summer and I have still been suffering from neck tensions/tighten, excessive swallowing and salivation. I usually suffer from only one of them at the one time but its type and degree changes time to time. For instance I may have a mild neck tension in the morning then it may be gone and I may have a severe excessive salivation in the evening. I have been mostly suffering from excessive salivation, secondly neck tensions/tighten then excessive swallowing lately.
That was the short background of me, I ve read lots of things about SA,OCD and those 3 obsessive thoughts so far. Now, what I really want to do is doing a survey and try to see if there are some any other things which related to OCD or SA. For example according to some of the researches there may be a link between physical problems and OCD or tics. For example link between pharyngitis, throat infections and OCD, tics. Or most of us may have some similarities apart from OCD or SA. By doing this survey, we may explore some new things related to our problems even help to find new methods or ideas for treatment.
Here is the survey and my answers at the below, just beneath of it there is the survey itself without the answers so you can copy paste and fill in. If you are interested, please answer all the questions on the survey honestly. Thanks in advance, good luck and best wishes to everyone.
Nickname: abc_03
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Illness title: SA, OCD
Medicines: 20mg Paroxetine per day
Current main symptoms which you mostly suffer from: Excessive saliva, neck tensions/tighten, excessive swallowing, concentration problem, forgetfulness.
Other current symptoms, illness or problems no matter related or not to your mental disease: Chapped lips, excessive sex thoughts and libido, sinusitis and blocked nose, deviated septum, excessive yawning, easily getting startled, click voice from jaw disks, sometimes unbalanced walking, 3 teeth decay, big adams apple.
Old symptoms, illness or problems you had before no matter related or not to your mental disease with times: I was very naughty and active child in childhood, easily affected by movies or people and imitated/copied those characters in childhood, had measles at the age of 11, slowly started to be quiet, introvert and get nervous around people about at the age of 13-14, suffered from under feet pains and diagnosed as mild fallen arches about at the age of 15, I have sprained my ankles mostly in sport lots of time in my life, I have had lots of upper respiratory tract infections and pharyngitis in my life so far and diagnosed as chronic sinusitis and deviated septum at the age of 21.
Sufferers in 1st degree relatives with times and illness title detail: Mum has been suffering from schizophrenia, OCD and mild SA for about 25-30 years. One of my sister has been mentally insane since she was 14. Mum is 62 and sister is 42 years old now. Hopefully their conditions are not too bad but still they are sufferer. Btw, I have 5 siblings, 2 brothers and 3 sisters.
Medicine history: Only 50 mg Lustral/Sertralin per day from 2005 to 10/2008 then changed to 20mg Paroxetine per day only since 10/2008 so far.
Nickname:
Age:
Gender:
Illness title:
Medicines:
Current main symptoms which you mostly suffer from:
Other current symptoms, illness or problems no matter related or not to your mental disease:
Old symptoms, illness or problems you had before no matter related or not to your mental disease with times:
Sufferers in 1st degree relatives with times and illness title detail:
Medicine history:
Thank you, good luck and best wishes to everyone.
I think you all are brave for posting and I must admit that I found this site because I was researching a particular medical case of interest. However, I think that case was interesting to me because I have similar, albeit, not as serious issues with saliva. I have always thought that I produce too much saliva. I worry about drooling more than anything else and each morning I wake up waiting for my wife to say something even though we've been married for 3 years :hugs:and she's never brought it up. Growing up, I always thought that all that saliva was too much acid for my stomach to handle and it turns out, my present day stomach issues were probably due to stress. I have noticed that daily intake of nexium, and earlier, omeprazol, to counteract GERDs and my stomach lining issues have reduced my saliva production, but the greatest thing is that I find that if I don't think about it, it happens less. It's as if I think less about it, so I produce less saliva and because I produce less saliva I think less about it. (Maybe this is the same as the previous post's idea of keeping thier mind busy on other subjects?) I didn't even notice it was working, but thank God it does. I only noticed after reading this message board. Thank you, just for being here.
God bless you all and good luck. I'm sure there is light at the end of your tunnel.
NatteAsbak
14-01-09, 20:51
I've had the same problem for years. When I was 13, I had repetitive swallowing, to the point that my throat was soar and it started to hurt. Lately, my obsession has been about choking. I always take deep breaths and every meal is hell, because I concentrate SO hard on getting the food down the right pipe.
Basicly, there were two things which made me feel comfortable and has gradually reduced the symptoms:
1. It's impossible to choke or die from conscious "throat spasms". When your really anxious, your tounge is usually curled up at the bottom of the palate. When food gets stuck, this is when you think you're choking. However, the body has defendse mechanisms for situations such as these. You will always, automatically cough or clear your throat. It's scary, but it will not kill you - I have a doctor's word on that:)
2. Relaxation. It sounds hard, but it's really not. The more you concentrate on these symptomps, the worse it gets. Take your time when you eat - there's no rush. Also, when you're breathing heavily and is scared that you might choke, know this: You won't! Play a game, read a book, watch a movie or do anything, that might take your mind of it. It'll help you more than you know:)
All the best wishes
Jarl.
I have had this before, its an awful feeling:S
Does anybody ever get the feeling that their tongue is swollen? Like its too big for your mouth? And like, your mouth goes all dry? sorry if i sound mad:S xxxx
picturegrl
24-01-09, 05:25
I'm having a lot of problems with this tonight -- struggling to eat every bite of a pizza I really wanted. I have this problem a lot. It's been worse lately.
Mine is the opposite of most of yours though. I never feel like I have enough saliva. I start to swallow and CAN'T. I start flipping my tongue around in my mouth like a dead fish, gasping and grabbing the chair or desk, pawing at my mouth and sometimes jumping up and rushing to another room in a blind panic.
I feel stupid even writing this. It IS stupid. It helps a lot to know others have felt this too. My fiance looks at me like I'm crazy when I say, "I couldn't swallow for a minute."
I start focusing on swallowing, wondering if the next time I try, I won't be able to. So then I can't. My mouth becomes more and more dry, then manifesting what I first imagined.
From a very early age, I struggled swallowing pills. I can specifically remember one instance of choking on a piece of steak. That night, I woke up clutching my throat and panicking. That was 30 years ago. I still do it a few times a month.
It's gotten worse again. A while back, a psychiatrist put me on Seroquel to help me sleep (I'm bipolar w/PTSD). Usually I fell asleep before I felt the side effects. This night, I was awake when they hit. Its major one is dry mouth. I was absolutely terrified, begging to go to the hospital, every swallow a supreme effort. I came online and started talking with friends as they tried to calm me. One suggested I go get some water and sip it. I felt better. After 30 minutes of slow, small sips, I was calm.
As long as I can drink something, I'm ok.
Last night, on a 15-hour drive that was very stressful, I started doing it. When I got to my hotel, I tried to take a pill about the size of an eraser (but it's Trazodone, shaped like a triangle - hard to swallow!) Usually if I choke on a pill, I get some sort of food to push it down. This time, all I had were some gummy bears in my car. I rushed out into the parking lot wearing only a tee shirt! I didn't care. I was choking.Then as the gummy bear started going down my throat, I started thinking about how hard it was to swallow those gelatinous globs, how it would glue into my throat and block my air and make me suffocate and.... you see how this went. Sheer terror. People don't GET it.
I realized something today. Because the dryness comes from over-swallowing, I've decided to let the spit gather in my mouth. To only swallow when there's enough spit. To purposely do this when I start feeling panicky. To concentrate on waiting for the buildup of saliva, NOT the act of swallowing. It takes the focus off the swallow AND gives me enough spit TO swallow.
Also, as everyone else has pointed out, classic clue that it's anxiety for me? I can get lost in fiddling with my computer, or online chatting with friends, or reading or doing some sort of activity that engrosses my brain, and guess what? I'll see that three or four hours have passed, and somehow I swallowed just fine.
BTW, I do this with breathing too. Panicked can't breathe feelings.
To the poster who mentioned gum helping... this reminds me of something I read in the book "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott. It's a book for writers (Yes, I'm a writer.) She mentions having a tonsillectomy and complaining to her doctor about pain. The doctor tells her to chew gum, and she thinks, "How stupid! My throat HURTS! I can't SWALLOW. You want me to chew GUM?" She says after a while of chewing, she realized her throat no longer hurt. The doctor told her that if something hurts, or if your body believes something is wrong, the muscles all around that area will tense, causing more pain and anxiety. If you can do anything to relax those muscles, they'll stop seizing up.
I do the candy, gum thing too.
Another thought on the gum, it may provide distraction, or for those who have dry mouths, it may stimulate salivation.
As for breathing, I haven't found an answer to that one.
Just read through all the letters and I'm greatly heartened by everyone's sense of humour in the face of all the "swallowing" suffering. I think you're all great, as I know how much you'd all love an answer to it. I relate totally to the "being afraid of being conscious of something that should be done unconsciously" and feel that that's the crux of my problem. I get terrified that I'm going to focus on them when I shouldn't be, when other people are doing it unconsciously. I haven't a clue why, but it started in my teens, has come and gone all my life, and has resurfaced big time since I turned 60, but I've never got to the bottom of why I'm so afraid of it. I'd love to get to the bottom of it. It's just as though, until I have something equally awful to obsess about, this obsession keeps me busy and won't go away. I HATE IT! Maybe that's the problem - I know if I didn't hate it so much it would probably go away naturally.
Sorry I've got no answers, but it's good to know you fellow sufferers have such courage.
With best wishes to you all.
SuperInfinity
24-04-09, 03:46
Just read through all the letters and I'm greatly heartened by everyone's sense of humour in the face of all the "swallowing" suffering. I think you're all great, as I know how much you'd all love an answer to it. I relate totally to the "being afraid of being conscious of something that should be done unconsciously" and feel that that's the crux of my problem. I get terrified that I'm going to focus on them when I shouldn't be, when other people are doing it unconsciously. I haven't a clue why, but it started in my teens, has come and gone all my life, and has resurfaced big time since I turned 60, but I've never got to the bottom of why I'm so afraid of it. I'd love to get to the bottom of it. It's just as though, until I have something equally awful to obsess about, this obsession keeps me busy and won't go away. I HATE IT! Maybe that's the problem - I know if I didn't hate it so much it would probably go away naturally.
Sorry I've got no answers, but it's good to know you fellow sufferers have such courage.
With best wishes to you all.
awwwww.... *gives you a hug* :hugs:
At nomorepanic we'll always support you and I just hope that it's getting better for you.
I'm glad I found this thread too. I've had this problem for roughly 6 years. In the beginning it was just a preoccupation which started after a suspected nervous breakdown, I must have been in a fragile state of mind or in the grip of depression but at the time it was just a curious thing. I woke up one day and thought 'Why am I swallowing when I don't need to?'
It didn't have any real impact on my life until one day I was sent on a child care course and for whatever reason my focus went straight to my throat, the tension built up as the slides of child abuse clicked past, I was sat shoulder to shoulder in a full business hall and confounded myself for getting up grabbing my bag and jacket and leaving. Maybe this was the beginning of being defeated by it rather than just distracted.
I'm not sure what percent of it is me and what % is 'it' because it does seem to be beyond my control at times. It's crippled me, I know that sounds bad and I'm beginning to think it's just my judgement because you guys seem afflicted by it yet you still keep your faith.
I often say to my friend that if it wasn't for this swallowing thing, (I usually call it a tic) then I'd be a happy high-flyer but at the moment it has drained my personality and my dreams of teaching.
Sometimes I choke also, which scares people ****less! I hate myself for that but partly I also think 'Tough, you can't handle me, thats not my problem'. It makes me v.self-conscious.
I'm going to a psychological assessment soon by order of my parents as I'm in a serious rut. At 24 I have nothing to my name so I say bring it on, I'm cautious of drugs but I'm willing to try anything now!
SuperInfinity
10-05-09, 03:22
I'm not sure what percent of it is me and what % is 'it' because it does seem to be beyond my control at times. It's crippled me, I know that sounds bad and I'm beginning to think it's just my judgement because you guys seem afflicted by it yet you still keep your faith.
I often say to my friend that if it wasn't for this swallowing thing, (I usually call it a tic) then I'd be a happy high-flyer but at the moment it has drained my personality and my dreams of teaching.
I know exactly what it's like. It's a horrible, horrible place to be. And it's as though you feel on your own right...? In your own little hell...? Well I don't know what I'd have done if it wasn't for the internet and seeing how other people have it as well.
But one thing I want to make sure you understand is that it DOES go away. Little by little. It's so gradual. Just try not to let the heart go pumping and adrenaline set off when you think about it. That's what makes it stay with you. I know it's hard.... :/
I remember waking up some mornings and being SO COMPLETELY OBSESSED AND TORTURED WITH IT...... it really is a terrible, terrible, terrible thing. A person who was here and had it asked if it was the worst condition possible.... and I think maybe it is....
There were times when I wondered if I'd ever be able to watch a movie again or ever be able to go a few hours in life without that horrible torture... really horrific stuff... :S
I'm going to a psychological assessment soon by order of my parents as I'm in a serious rut. At 24 I have nothing to my name so I say bring it on, I'm cautious of drugs but I'm willing to try anything now!
Please don't take meds. And WHATEVER you do NEVER dream of taking neuroleptics, they just mess you up.
Hi to everyone, how you doing? I'm not too bad atm, still have ups and downs sometimes. I found best thing to cope my anxieties and OCD thoughts is accept myself as i am and try to take my mind off doing and focusing on different things. I should also say music, sport/fitness and body exercises are really helpful too.
I want to ask some questions about obsessive swallowing; Do you also suffer from excessive salivation and neck tensions? Have you suffered from sinusitis or upper respiratory infections like pharyngitis or coughing attacks? Do you think you have a big adams apple on your throat? And finally, do you think your OCD problems have been caused by genes?
I d be grateful if you answered these questions. Best wishes to everyone.
terence881
15-09-09, 03:43
Hello everyone i'm Terence i've been suffering obsessive swallowing also. I always thought I was the only one but now i see i'm not. I feel more relieved that I found this thread THANK U!!!!!!!! It makes me uncomtherable whenever i'm with people, in class learning, and especially driving.... eeeek! It makes the teacher fear me, and my classmates. This is my first post i ever posted on one of these sites but I would like to share to u guys some of my methods of ignoring swollowing
1. Slow down your breathing
2. focus on something else
3. when ure about to swollow make a noise like tapping or stomping your feet. sometimes it scares your habit temporarely
4.focus on breathing and the middle of your eyes this helps sometimes (idk why)
5. just enter the situation positively
GL EVERYONE!!!
I've discovered something that works for me, it may work for others, it may not, but it's worth a try. So I have this book called "Don't Shoot The Dog," it's about changing behaviors. In one of the chapters it gives techniques for changing behaviors, one of those techniques centers around "cues." It's sort of like when you want your dog to sit or some other command, you use one of those clickers. So the dog is exhibiting a certain behavior when it hears the click, the cue. If you don't want the dog to exhibit that behavior, with hold the cue. How I translated that to my swallowing obsession was this, in order to swallow, I have to clap my left hand once. That goes for drinking, eating, and swallowing saliva, I have to clap my left hand. I'm starting to get my brain trained to it, and in already 16 hours I haven't had any anxiety with my swallowing obsession, I'm still aware of my swallowing but there's no anxiety. And I think the reason there's no anxiety is because claping my left hand, it puts me in control, I'm in control, not the obsession. I hope this works for others, it is certainly helping me.
I also have this obsession. I was wondering for those who say their mouth gets dry, does it then also get LOUDER when you swallow?
My mouth gets dry too and then my swallowing gets awfully loud, sometimes I choke. The muscles of my throat will just swallow by themselves quickly and forcefully as the muscles contract (this usually happens if it's cold but can also occur at times of prolonged tension and just after waking up).
I think about swallowing through the day at least every minute, possibly two. If I'm sat in class I can control it but I'm still aware of it gathering in my mouth and I'll click my pen or ruffle paper to disguise swallowing. The act of swallowing in class is increadibly hesitant, sometimes I'll push the saliva to the front of my mouth and consider swallowing, then I'll yawn (this makes swallowing quieter and lowers the blood pressure) if I don't swallow after I've yawned the tension builds up and it feels like I can't breathe, it's like an internal pressure that could and often does result in choking.
I can forget for a while after I've swallowed but my mind always goes back to it. I tell myself 'no-I won't think about it anymore' but when the spit gathers up wild horses couldn't stop me thinking about swallowing again.
I've realised now that when I don't think about it, it isn't because I've broken through the mental block it's because my mind has just risen above the 'block' to other things.
Hi people
ive been having this swallow problem for about 13 years now and its pretty bad...ive seen dannic1 post in another forum where i posted too ,it's a small world on the internet :p
I dont know what tips i can give as i have it bad but there were periods in my life it went alot better,btw now lately i have alot of saliva wich makes it even worse then it already was lol
Ive noticed that in times of my life when i was really happy and felt loved i was almost cured,too bad those periods in my life were short.
Another thing is try not to think about it,be strong and try to accept it and just not care,the more u care and worry the worse it gets basically.
I'm glad I found this thread too. I've had this problem for roughly 6 years. In the beginning it was just a preoccupation which started after a suspected nervous breakdown, I must have been in a fragile state of mind or in the grip of depression but at the time it was just a curious thing. I woke up one day and thought 'Why am I swallowing when I don't need to?'
It didn't have any real impact on my life until one day I was sent on a child care course and for whatever reason my focus went straight to my throat, the tension built up as the slides of child abuse clicked past, I was sat shoulder to shoulder in a full business hall and confounded myself for getting up grabbing my bag and jacket and leaving. Maybe this was the beginning of being defeated by it rather than just distracted.
I'm not sure what percent of it is me and what % is 'it' because it does seem to be beyond my control at times. It's crippled me, I know that sounds bad and I'm beginning to think it's just my judgement because you guys seem afflicted by it yet you still keep your faith.
I often say to my friend that if it wasn't for this swallowing thing, (I usually call it a tic) then I'd be a happy high-flyer but at the moment it has drained my personality and my dreams of teaching.
Sometimes I choke also, which scares people ****less! I hate myself for that but partly I also think 'Tough, you can't handle me, thats not my problem'. It makes me v.self-conscious.
I'm going to a psychological assessment soon by order of my parents as I'm in a serious rut. At 24 I have nothing to my name so I say bring it on, I'm cautious of drugs but I'm willing to try anything now!
damn you sound alot like me...just wanted to let you know,so you know your not the only one
I became extremely relieved when I read this thread, now I know I'm not the only sufferer of this horrible affliction. I am a 16 year old that live in the US, and I can still with great dread remember the first day it manifested itself within me. I woke up one morning when I was 9 years old I was flying to Corfu ( an island outside the Greece coast) three hours later with my family. I recall feeling a lump in my throat that just wouldn't go away, then hopelessness washed over me as a realised it would stay there forever. It was compulsory for me to constantly swallow something wasn't there, that after a while gave me headache.
It has ruined many aspects of my childhood. My social life has been the greatest loss. I used to be a happy boy that didn't hesitate to share things with other people or speak with them. Now with that lump in my throat, I hesitate to speak to people since I find it embarrassing that my voice suddenly cuts of when I swallow. I have isolated myself and become a quiet and depressed person who awaits the future with great fear: Will I ever meet a girlfriend who can stand my strangeness? Will I ever be able to work and communicate with people or will I continue down a road of self-isolation? Will I feel comfortable in social situations?
Worst is in classrooms, where I am afraid that the teacher will ask me questions and I won't be able to respond for an embarrassing period time.
I get nervous weeks before an oral presentation at school, since I always have to pause my reading to swallow.
During some periods of my life though, I have been able to subdue the violent problem, these times have been when I have felt confident or happy. I try to cherish the times, but as soon as I'm reminded of the swallowing , I am entrapped again.
PLEASE HELP ME, By giving me advice on how to handle it, it is destroying my life!! :weep:
Hi, I am new to this site and have suffered with excess swallowing also in the past. I found it hard to swallow, I used to stop half way, like it was a real struggle. I cant really describe it, but I suppose because I was thinking about it so much it became a chore. I would swallow so much it would give me wind and then sit there and be concious of a rumbling belly.
I became extremely relieved when I read this thread, now I know I'm not the only sufferer of this horrible affliction. I am a 16 year old that live in the US, and I can still with great dread remember the first day it manifested itself within me. I woke up one morning when I was 9 years old I was flying to Corfu ( an island outside the Greece coast) three hours later with my family. I recall feeling a lump in my throat that just wouldn't go away, then hopelessness washed over me as a realised it would stay there forever. It was compulsory for me to constantly swallow something wasn't there, that after a while gave me headache.
It has ruined many aspects of my childhood. My social life has been the greatest loss. I used to be a happy boy that didn't hesitate to share things with other people or speak with them. Now with that lump in my throat, I hesitate to speak to people since I find it embarrassing that my voice suddenly cuts of when I swallow. I have isolated myself and become a quiet and depressed person who awaits the future with great fear: Will I ever meet a girlfriend who can stand my strangeness? Will I ever be able to work and communicate with people or will I continue down a road of self-isolation? Will I feel comfortable in social situations?
Worst is in classrooms, where I am afraid that the teacher will ask me questions and I won't be able to respond for an embarrassing period time.
I get nervous weeks before an oral presentation at school, since I always have to pause my reading to swallow.
During some periods of my life though, I have been able to subdue the violent problem, these times have been when I have felt confident or happy. I try to cherish the times, but as soon as I'm reminded of the swallowing , I am entrapped again.
PLEASE HELP ME, By giving me advice on how to handle it, it is destroying my life!! :weep:
I cant really help you but i can say your not the only one,you sound also alot how i was and still am.it also killed my social life,im glad i dont have to go to school anymore lol
Dont worry about Gf's tho i had several relationships and they didn't even really notice it..also when u feel happy and stronger it usually seems to get alot less bad.
You gotta try to keep yourself distracted and not worry too much and think too much about it,be strong.Try to make yourself feel happy again.Support from a best friend might help
hmm nobody replied anymore,is everybody cured or something ??
I've had the swallowing thing on and off since i was young, i remember waking my parents up in the night because it was making it difficult to breathe because i couldn't stop. I find i do this a lot when the room goes quiet now, which is why i can't really participate in meditation classes! It seems to help to have cranio-sacral therapy as it relaxes my throat and my head so i don't seem to want to do it as much. I did once get rid of it for a while and i was so pleased, but then i had a taster therapy session at an open day and it seemed to come back which was rubbish for sure. :-( I didn't realise how many people had the same sort of thing. Tis pants for sure..
:hugs:
-Jelliex
hi everyone..i once had this problem as well...i kept thinking about swallowing which led me to keep swallowing..i told my mom and she took me to the doctor and he said that my sinuses were draining and he prescribed medication for it but i always knew it was much more than just that..i eventually got over it and im sure it will pass...
Richard_J_W
31-01-10, 19:05
Hi everybody,
I just want to say that I am yet another one who has found their way here, and with the same problem! It came on a few months ago when I started concentrating on my swallowing. I've also had the same issue with blinking and breathing before, but not too badly. As for the swallowing, it feels like I have a constant bit of saliva in my throat, but when I swallow the feeling remains.
The two times it really isn't good are in lectures at university (where I am worried someone will notice my swallowing) and in bed at night (where it stops me from getting to sleep). Again, for me it seems to come on when my mind has the chance to drift and focus on it (hence why it happens in the examples above), but not when I am fully active in something.
My Mum said that she had it before, and that, much like some of you have said, it went away at some point. It does seem like a kind of OCD thing going on, but the biggest factor seems to be life stress. It could be a good idea to read an anti-stress/depression book. I would suggest trying both the chewing gum thing mentioned, and having a bottle of water nearby, as I think these will help somewhat!
Glad, at least, to find that I'm not the only one. There certainly are a lot of us here, showing that this is a serious issue that needs bringing attention to! Good luck to everyone!
Wow... i don't know why i never thought to look online about this swallowing thing, i guess i figured i was the only one in the whole world with this weird feeling/obsession. gosh, it has been comforting knowing that there are others out there.. i say comforting but it also saddens my soul if you guys are going through what I have been. Has anyone heard of Sensory Integration Disorder? I thought that that was what this blinking/swallowing/throat thing may have been? I also have throat-clearing obsession, like something is caught in there, as well as this obsession with my lips which distracts me when i am trying to talk sometimes. I haven't had this one in a while so IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW THAT IT DOES GO AWAY! I know it feels like because it's the most prominent right now that it won't and our minds catastrophize with what if's but it will flee. I have been reading the posts and i now know that i am not the only one.. seems like that though, cause this stuff is so weird and deabilitating. I try to refocus but it just keeps coming back, i have noticed that trying to just accept the fact that i am not going to feel well helps. I have also noticed that Faith in our Almighty Creator brings me the most reassurance knowing that all of my suffering is being managed by him and that everything that comes into my life is stamped by Him. God is the not the author of evil, he is the author over it, over all diseases as well. But in his sovereign will, he allows things in our lives for His Purposes. No doubt that this swallowing feeling is one of the worst things to have to walk through and is a result of the fallen world that we live in..God is order, not disorder. I would encourage those that are believers in Christ to rest in his peace today and know that you are in his loving arms, even if you can't feel it. Our feelings are subjective, fleeting, the shallowest part of us, His Promises are objective and holy and trustworthy. His holy spirit is the only thing that helps me to even endure and not become embittered with life. If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, I would encourage all who read this to accept Him as your personal savior, the one who "heals all our diseases" "a sympathetic high priest" (Hebrews) who has been tempted in every way we have and suffered more than any of us can ever imagine. He knows.. and He cares.. and the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us (Rom 8) and that is where our only source of Emaculate Hope lies. I have learned the more i try to fix myself, the worse I make it. When i just go to Him, it doesn't necessarily relieve all the pain, but i know that i'm not alone.. ever. "I will be with you always, to the end of the ages." "come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden (that's us with OCD definitely) and I will give you rest. My yoke is easy, my burden is light."
matt
Matt,
First of all Welcome to the site! I hope you continue to find it reassuring- and know that you are definitely not alone.
I know about Sensory Integration Disorder- my daughter has it...she is a seeker as well as an avoider. Meaning- she has to touch, lick, feel things as it fulfills her sensory needs...the avoiding comes when things are loud, or textures don't feel right to her. They see, think, taste, feel different than us.
I respect your faith and hope that you continue to feel comfort in it. I, however do not believe as you do and I wish you will respect that as well. My anxiety, pain, suffering- is not a test of faith, nor a trial that I must go through to prove anything to anyone...if that were the case- I have more than proven myself as well as most of us on here have. I mean no offense- I just don't want to feel I am suffering because of my beliefs or disbelief.
I wish you luck in this journey!
johnny boy
15-03-10, 16:52
i also suffer with OCD swallowing, when im around a crowd or in a supermarket. i sometimes swallow a lot when i get nervous. or sometimes get a really dry mouth. i can deal with it when i take my mind off of it by playing a puzzle or a computer game. its good to know that im not the only one. and im also on the autistic spectrum.:)
baby4brenn
26-03-10, 01:48
test
baby4brenn
26-03-10, 01:48
I always worry about what people think when they see me swallow so much????
johnny boy
06-04-10, 22:19
ive had a really bad day constantly swallowing, the whole day my throat feels sore. its one of the most hardest things. i forgot to say in my other post wich medications i take. 1mg of resperodone, and 2mg, diazepam a day. its so hard not to think about it its nice to read other posts and helps alot thanks!!
SuperInfinity
08-04-10, 03:09
ive had a really bad day constantly swallowing, the whole day my throat feels sore. its one of the most hardest things. i forgot to say in my other post wich medications i take. 1mg of resperodone, and 2mg, diazepam a day. its so hard not to think about it its nice to read other posts and helps alot thanks!!
Hi, sorry to hear you're not doing so well. :( But please come off the risperidone. The risperidone may be causing or a part of your swallowing obsession. The diazepam is not as bad.
Hi everyone,
Does anybody feel this obsessiveness with small physical acts is applicable to any part of the body, or is it uniquely swallowing?
Although previously I considered myself to be obsessed with this one act I have come to the conclusion that my 'sub conscience' obsessed with absolutely any part of the body it wants to.
For example simply using this mouse consistently makes the muscles work and my hand aches slightly, and I can quite easily become very aware of the slight ache in my hand and begin to obsess over it.
Insight into this would be appreciated.
I always worry about what people think when they see me swallow so much????
Hi baby4brenn,
As long as I understand the question correctly I don't believe you have anything to worry about. The act of swallowing consistently is hardly noticeable to anybody else and they aren't thinking anything in particular.
:)
I became extremely relieved when I read this thread, now I know I'm not the only sufferer of this horrible affliction. I am a 16 year old that live in the US, and I can still with great dread remember the first day it manifested itself within me. I woke up one morning when I was 9 years old I was flying to Corfu ( an island outside the Greece coast) three hours later with my family. I recall feeling a lump in my throat that just wouldn't go away, then hopelessness washed over me as a realised it would stay there forever. It was compulsory for me to constantly swallow something wasn't there, that after a while gave me headache.
It has ruined many aspects of my childhood. My social life has been the greatest loss. I used to be a happy boy that didn't hesitate to share things with other people or speak with them. Now with that lump in my throat, I hesitate to speak to people since I find it embarrassing that my voice suddenly cuts of when I swallow. I have isolated myself and become a quiet and depressed person who awaits the future with great fear: Will I ever meet a girlfriend who can stand my strangeness? Will I ever be able to work and communicate with people or will I continue down a road of self-isolation? Will I feel comfortable in social situations?
Worst is in classrooms, where I am afraid that the teacher will ask me questions and I won't be able to respond for an embarrassing period time.
I get nervous weeks before an oral presentation at school, since I always have to pause my reading to swallow.
During some periods of my life though, I have been able to subdue the violent problem, these times have been when I have felt confident or happy. I try to cherish the times, but as soon as I'm reminded of the swallowing , I am entrapped again.
PLEASE HELP ME, By giving me advice on how to handle it, it is destroying my life!! :weep:
Firstly my friend notice we are all here with similar(if not the exact same) problems :)
The fact the obsessiveness subdues in periods where you're happy is very conclusive. I too have noticed the direct correlation between unhappiness and things such as swallowing obsessiveness. I have learnt that while I did experience being overly conscious about swallowing I can basically obsess about absolutely any physical aspect of my body imagining all sorts of pains/aches/feelings in which I can't tell if they're really there or not.
I so wish I could off you a solution but the complex human brain is one we don't yet understand as well as we might. The method I'm currently adopting is to in some sense come to peace with these small obsessions and accept them as a function of your mind. Basically, don't think of it negatively and embrace it and recognise it's true futility :shades:
Do you think there might be some links between some physical disorders/symptoms and excess swallowing or saliva? Or do you think both of them are hundred percent related to mental factors?
-Did you have coughing fits, long and extreme upper respiratory infection or pharyngitis etc. before? -I read somewhere that excessive swallowing or some tics in anxious/nervous people might develop after extreme coughing fits, long and constant upper respiratory infections. (My excessive swallowing indeed showed up after long and extreme coughing fits due to upper respiratory infections and sinusitis. I'd had tight/tense neck symptom at anxious/nervous moments before though but not excess swallowing or saliva.)
-Have you got deviated septum and/or sinusitis? -Maybe having deviated septum, sinusitis or both trigger excessive swallowing or salivation...
-Do you have a big adams apple and/or a thin neck? -Anxious/nervous people with weak, thin neck and with big adams apple might be more prone to develop excessive swallowing or tight/tense neck.
-Have you got excess salivation? - I read somewhere that acid reflux/LPR might trigger excess/constant salivation. On the other hand, perhaps excess swallowing might be causing excess salivations or vice versa...
-Do you have constantly dry/chapped lips? -There is a big chance this may be the result of sinusitis and deviated septum. Just wondering if constant chapped lips may be related to something else on me.
-Have you got acid reflux/LPR? -It's said acid reflux/LPR might cause excess salivation.
Just want it to stop
10-05-10, 20:52
I have had the same problem. Firstly, I worried about people hearing me swallowing, then about them seeing me and now my latest worry is about throat clearing. I know I should just let my body do it when necessary but the more I try to forget about the thought of clearing my throat, the more it comes back to haunt me. Plus, every time I think about clearing my throat, it makes me feel like I have to clear my throat and this happens again and again all %^&*ing day! It drives me nuts!
johnny boy
27-05-10, 19:15
i swallow all the time i cant stop sometimes i am so dry other times i produce to much, i constantly swallow i get scared that im going to swallow my tounge, or choke on my saliva. its really horrible i wish i could stop thinking about it has any one else experienced it as bad as me???
AbbaDionysius
01-06-10, 07:03
Wow, can I certainly relate to this!
I have chronic health anxiety/tension issues causing pain in my throat/neck and sometimes it causes my throat to click when swallowing. So, of course, I dry swallow in spurts to 'test' to see if the mechanism is working properly.
This is partly what makes panic situations so hard to deal with and treat, at times; panic can have depression, anxiety can have OCD components, etc.
My prayers and meditations go out to y'all, and I thank you most humbly for this forum and for your support as well.:hugs:
jasonnathan
03-06-10, 04:57
Hi all,
I also have suffered for over 20 yrs with this swallowing problem. what has helped me sometimes is to swim laps front crawl/ freestyle every day. the water takes your mind off things. You just concentrate one one stroke after the other and constantly focused on your breathing, blowing bubbles of course in the water while you exhale. if you have some saliva you just blow it out with the bubbles, and soon you wont even be paying attention to the swallowing during the swimming. Then after a nice swim, just try to stay relaxed and stretch a little perhaps in some sunshine.
i take a low dose of lexapro (5 mg) at night although I used to take a medium dose (20 mg) for quite some time which left me feeling tired throughout the day. I believe that xanax can work wonders too, but is not too good for a long period of time because it can potentially have negative effects. also I try to just let my mind relax and watch a good movie from netflix every night or every other night. I even just watch half a movie to let the mind escape. keep a big hot cup of camomile tea next to you will help also. it is a real struggle and I sympathize with all of you and wish you all the best. but i guess we have to remember not to think of it as a problem, not to think of ourselves as having some issue. if someone doesnt like us, to hell with them. let people adjust to our "odd traits" instead of us trying to be perfect for others.
AbbaDionysius
06-06-10, 20:46
I can certainly relate. I am currently trying 2400 mg. of neurontin and 90 mg. of Cymbalta...seems to be helping somewhat.
"Just a thought.
Does one run away from a charging bear because one is affraid, or is one affraid because one is running from a charging bear? Our tendency, though counter intuitive, is to feel because be act and not the other way around. Therefore, try in all things to act calmly and surround oneself with all that is of peace, and in time one feels the peace flowing through you like a calming waterfall from an endless life-giving spring of true mindfulness.
Just a Thought.
--- AbbaDionysius, Of Mice and Madness: Mindfulness and Innate Sanity Within.
:hugs:
I sure swallow a lot if i get anxious, i guess its jsut what they call a 'nervous habit',
But then remember the stereotype of cartoon charadcters who go 'GULP!' when something scares them? I gues s its jsut something people do when they're frightened or anxious, dunno why though.
:ohmy: i always need to swallow too but i cant hel it :blush:
johnny boy
14-06-10, 07:56
I have been dealing with this obession of swallowing as well. I don't know how it started or why I even do it. when I am busy or really into a conversation I forget about it for a while but it always comes back. it's the worst when I am in a quiet classroom I start obessing about how quiet it is and if anyone can hear me or I think about how werid they must think I am for doing this so often. to cover up the swallowing I shuffle around papers or start clicking my pen. This obession has been keeping me away from many thingssuch as getting a job or hanging out with friends I feel that I am socially awkward when I do this. I became a lot more quiet fearing that I may choke on my words because i feel the need to swallow. When I am with someone that I swallow a lot around something triggers my brain to swallow more around them because I know I have done this around them a lot before. I really want this OCD to go away but I'm afraid to tell my parents anyone else because I don't want them to develop this obession as well. Please provide me with any feedback on any mess i can take or anything that I can do to keep my mind off of it
i have to say try the drug sertraline (zoloft) its an OCD specialized drug i find it help full a bit im on 150mg its a high dose. but im sure you will feel a bit better by taking this!!!
johnny boy
14-06-10, 08:03
i want to ask you people with the swallowing obsession do you struggle to fall asleep when i lay down i swallow so much i feel like im gulping something pulls in my throat my adams apple when i swallow it makes me feel anxious, also i have been producing excessive saliva which makes me swallow more.
I also have this swallowing problem, when I'm in bed at night it has been so bad I have had to sit up and get a drink, choking like I have no air or anything to swallow - it's very scary indeed. The sertraline suggestion: I don't think there is one medication to prevent any one thing, everyone works differently. I am currently withdrawing from Sertraline and it's awful! I feel worse now than I ever have, and wonder if medication sets you back more than helps you forward (if it doesn't suit you).
I have another thing that I do aswell, it's really difficult to explain though, but I'll try: I force a short breath out, very short and sharp - almost like a click, huff, uugh and sometimes I have to do it quietly so nobody can hear, and when I fail I have to keep doing it until it is quiet. It drives me mad! :)
johnny boy
19-06-10, 20:41
im so scared i woke up at 8.30am and its now 11.00pm i have been producing excessive saliva all day constantly swallowing all day and night. my throat is sore im scared something will happen to me if i cant stop because it cant be good to constantly swallow about 5x a minute for so many hours im all anxious and tensed i feel like crap i cannot stop thinking about swallowing/gulping its so scary the thoughts that i get which could hapen, i will swallow my tounge, i will choke on my saliva, i will stop breathing, my throat will close up on me, its sad i hate anxiety!!!!
Just wondering very curiously if some of you have had some of the following issues in your life before or onset of your excess swallowing&excess saliva problems; strep throat, sinusitis, deviated septum, acid reflux or thin/weak neck?
I suffered from a bad long lasting strep throat with URTI, coughing fits and pharyngitis just before I started to be aware of my swallowing for the first time. At the moment I've got mild chronic sinusitis, deviated septum, thin weak neck, and suspect of acid reflux. I heard acid reflux, strep throat or sinusitis might trigger the excessive swallowing and or saliva. I'll see a doctor to have some tests done in the hope of ruling out the triggering or complication factors.
BEST WISHES
johnny boy
22-06-10, 19:05
Just wondering very curiously if some of you have had some of the following issues in your life before or onset of your excess swallowing&excess saliva problems; strep throat, sinusitis, deviated septum, acid reflux or thin/weak neck?
I suffered from a bad long lasting strep throat with URTI, coughing fits and pharyngitis just before I started to be aware of my swallowing for the first time. At the moment I've got mild chronic sinusitis, deviated septum, thin weak neck, and suspect of acid reflux. I heard acid reflux, strep throat or sinusitis might trigger the excessive swallowing and or saliva. I'll see a doctor to have some tests done in the hope of ruling out the triggering or complication factors.
BEST WISHES yes i have had strep throats before and had whooping cough when i was little. so my doctor thinks that the whooping cough could have some affect of why im frightend of chocking, from when i was a kid maybe i was scared of chocking.
AbbaDionysius
23-06-10, 06:13
Ahh...could be an association of the fear of choking from past medical issues, yes indeedies.
One way to possibly find out is to keep a journal...every time you have an urge to anxiously swallow, note it down, the intensity (maybe 1 to 5, 5 being the worst) and what thoughts/feelings/associations went along with it. In about a week, notice if there are any patterns. One place to start with, anyhow. And, will give ya something to do by way of channeling the anxiety into something constructive.
johnny boy
04-07-10, 18:50
i cant stand it its driving me mental i cant stop thinking about swallowing all day even when i try go sleep its horrible i constantly feel the saliva build up in my mouth. the worst is i swallow about 5x a minute so i have all this white stuff at the back of my throat which makes me feel more anxious and tensed, i hate having to pop a pill to calm me down but there is no other way when im scared.
johnny boy
04-07-10, 18:57
Hi, sorry to hear you're not doing so well. :( But please come off the risperidone. The risperidone may be causing or a part of your swallowing obsession. The diazepam is not as bad.
i just wanted to say im stopping my risperidone but not my sertraline or diazepam i too have found out that risperidone can have a side effect of excessive saliva its the worst drug originally i was put on it because i said i felt dizzy and i was going to fall over, then they gave me risperidone then ever since ive produced so much saliva that i constantly focus on swallowing which has made me go on sertraline and diazepam and im only 16. i no i suffer with anxiety but this risperidone could be my anxiety about swallowing?
johnny boy
03-08-10, 16:26
hello everyone good news well ive stopped my risperidone and my saliva levels have gone back down to normal but i cant seem to stop excessivley swallowing:weep: its so hard to deal with i cant really get to sleep at night because when my head hits the pillow i start to feel anxious and tensed which makes me focus on swallowing. im still taking my sertraline 150mg and 2mg of diazepam only my doctors are trying to cut me of my diazepam but i cant cope with out it. also i have brought some valerian to help me sleep at night anyone please reply or private message me thanks! :)
GrandTheftUnicycle
31-08-10, 23:01
Hey everyone... like most of you here, I had the old "i must be the only one thought" until finding this site...
I've had the problem for two years (high school years) and it has been really difficult to deal with, especially in its early days...
I was determined to CONQUER THE PROBLEM, but of course, this often makes it worse...
However, experiencing it made me realise that it gets better with certain conditions and at certain times of the day...
For example, get asked to make a speech in school / do a presentation at work? well that is the time when for most people the problem is going to be worst because LOOK HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SEE YOU SWALLOWING... it's not nice... :(
However, chatting with your friends and the problem is either barely there or gone all together? It's to do with nerves... when you're more nervous, scared not of swallowing but of how you will LOOK swallowing, then you worry, produce more adrenaline, your heart rate increases and you swallow... CHOKE CHOKE CHOKE...
BUT, there is hope... I eventually had to see my teachers (two) about this problem when it got bad and sitting there, explaining my problem, I also found myself having the usual struggles... But after EXPLAINING my problems, the teacher said to me... "well i didn't notice you swallowing that much, neither did mr x [the other teacher]... I think this problem is more 'yours' than anyone elses"
And it was then that I realised, I had become so obsessed with the problem, I didn't realise that the world moves on: other people around you aren't seeing the world from YOUR point of view, so if you swallow slightly more than average while reading something out there's a SLIM chance they're going to notice, and even if they do, if they're going to remember or care...
Some quick fire advice for coping if the above doesn't help:
1. If the problem gets worse when you get flustered, take valerian root (calms you down, takes the edge off)
2. steam inhalation/shower... lubes everything up down there and often helps
3. eating a square meal before needing to talk can be useful as it gets everything working
4. PRACTICE: read to yourself, make audio recordings of readings, sing, recite poetry
AND FINALLY... I know it may sound a little childish and awkward, but I feel it may help SIGNIFICANTLY: I think the people posting on this site should post their skype names (or equivalent) and should converse with each other... both people will have no inhibitions and can watch the other person swallowing or not swallowing and KNOW THEY ARE NOT ALONE... it's a great confidence builder... it's like an understanding, helpful audience
If you think it's a good idea, post your skypes... mine's " stormsays "
Good luck everyone, and realise that maybe people aren't taking as much interest as you'd think
x
Hi to all
do you think is really possible to heal once and for all?
I am a slave of this OCD.
Swallowing is my first thought when i wake up e the last one when i go to to sleep.
The quality of the life is terrible.
I've have tested a lot of drugs therapies, no one worked at all. The gave me only a little relief.
I'm going to surrender to it. I'm starting to believe this OCD wins always.
My only hope is my faith in scientific research. I am waiting for the definitive drug that will free me from this nightmare.
Love to all
Hmmm... reading almost all 80 plus post, it is actually indeed good that other are out there and are willing to share their issues. I had a feeling i wasnt the only one. That was because humans share issues like others.
As for my story, it started when my older brother and I were playing and just got done watch som action fighting TV show. I say i was bout 8 or nine. My brother karate chopped me in my throat. I can remember feeling like i was going to die. It was like i couldn't breathe so i started swallowing to help myself breathe. From there i went away over time.
It came back in spurts but went away in spurts through out my life. However i can distinctively remember when it came back another time. I am a US Miltary Veteran of the US Marine Corps. I went overseas three times to combat. I was and Infantryman. I seen ALOT. This was very stressful on me. During my last months there, the final and third time i deployed, i can remember swallowing a lot! I was like what's the deal with me; not again. It came it went as the days went on. One day i was with my buddies and we were eating lunch. I remember one of the guys kept on clearing his throat and the other guy's eye kept on twitching. I laughed and was like man we are all going crazy over here. THATS WHEN IT HIT ME. Everyone had their on anxiety moments. I can remember thinking about it when I was on my home country when i got off the plane and was like wow its gone, the swallowing is gone. I then knew it had something to do with stress because i was soooo relived to be back HOME.
So i do now realize its all stress related for me at least. The swallowing has come and gone since then. Usually i forget about it after a couple of days. Now the swallowing has came back with a fury. Its crazy because im not stressed out this time. However I do suffer from PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) but i cover it up and hide it well. I think this might be a small bit of why the swallowing gets triggered. I find this condition as something that will pass if i just let go and live life. Yes like everyone else it is hard to break, but by me reading all yall post and a even post my post, my swallowing left. I do wake up swallowing and have dry mouth as well as extra saliva, which is new this time around, but i keep God and faith it will pass, which i know it will.
I think i just need to relax and chill for a couple of days. Yes my throat hurts but i can't live in fear and i think thats important when tackling this swallowing issue. Stay positive. I feel everyones pain and I will get better. As for people who what to know, i do have sinus and allergy issues a;; my life. I have a thin neck (infantry marines are not like TV ad because we have no time to work out, we walk allllllll day long, lol), I also have issues with strep throat, and i have tonsillitis and tonsil stones, i also have bad coughs at times.
I think this has a link with the swallowing issues, but who can know for sure. But if find it important to let go and "Let GOD". Also worrying does not help. Relax. If i have this for years, I pray i can handle it like i handle everything and i know i will. Also no one knows you are swallowing, and spitting is not bad; swallow it. My mother and Aunts hold spit in their mouth and have been doing it for years, this is due to not wanting to swallow mucus, if they cant spit, the just swallow it. No one is perfect. Also for dry mouth people, just chew gum and drink water. That does help. I am a fighter and I WILL CONQUER THIS. All through preoccupation. Forgetting, i think is the key as well. OCD is the act of thinking then overly doing. If you don't think then you don't do. If we can swallow sub conciely, then swallowing would be like breathing, you wont even notice it.
HOpe this helps. I also am not taking Meds. If you are in a relationship, sex is a cure for stress as well. It works for me.
johnny boy
09-10-10, 11:58
hello just thought i'd say that i havent got rid of my swallowing obsession but am coping so much better allthough i do have the odd day when its out of control but am finding sleeping more easily by listening to relaxing music on youtube. but its still not 100% gone and i dont know if it ever will but i just think dealing with it and getting on with life i remember when i first had it i was house bound for over 2months and now im pushing myself to go out. i hope all of you are ok and coping with it trust me it does get easier but it will never 100% go =)
hi ,, my name is jack
I hope you guys all heal soon enough & get better as days pass by..
And always remember ... life is too beautiful for you to be depressed or obessesed or sacred of anything... just be happy & live every moment .. because we don't get to live twice..... just smile & I promise you the whole world will be yours.....
Love & best wishes for everyone struggled or struggling with OCD in this form , And I hope you all find your better days...
Thanks & best regards
Hey Guys,
Im new to this site. Ive had this problem with swallowing before and again it has kind of resurfaced. grrr. It doesn't seem toooooo bad, its just feels like the mental equivalent of having a thorn in your side. At the moment I find it the worst when Im trying to read or study, it just kind of comes up and acts as a kind of mental block and I find it difficult to emerse myself in any reading.
I think the best is to try to be as relaxed as possible about it. Easier said then done, I know. I think you just have to say to yourself; OK my silly mind is really getting in the way of me living my life right now. Funny how your mind is your own worst enemy, isn't it?
I think another good thing to do is to try and differentiate in your mind the actual sensation of saliva and swallowing that we are so aware of and the anxiety that is atached to that; "this sensation is really irritating me, why do I only notice it when no-one else around me seems to?" and try and realise that the only thing that is really irritating is the anxiety.
Im trying to do a little meditation in the eveinings to help counter this problem which I think is probably quite good. However, Im still finding difficulty to do this for more than say 5 minutes, I find that after that I really want to get up and do something. Hopefully with practise that will improve.
I wish all guys the best, and hope that some day our silly conter-productive heads will relax, straighten out, and function properly and that there we will find a wealth of determination, creativity and focus.
Hi everyone,
I was under the impression that this was a "rare" problem, but seeing it's one of the most discussed topics here it really seems to be a common annoyance among ocd/anxiety sufferers, which is definitely somewhat comforting for me to read, knowing it's not just me.
Without going into details I have been obsessing on/off about this problem for 6 years now, which about equals my years as a university student. The most irritating thing with this problem by far is that I have found no way of controlling it. Even during this 6 years period I have had a few years in between when it didn't really bother me, but it seems every now and then it always comes back, and then it can be bothersome for months at a time, until it again disappears. I'm pretty sure that anxiety is the nr 1 reason it occurs for me and not ocd, so for me controlling the anxiety would probably make it better, but it's easier said than done without medication.
I agree with Oscar that this problem tends to be worse during periods of intense concentrating/reading, which is especially irritating for me since my work involves a lot of that. If anyone has any suggestion on how to deal with it in these particular situations I'm all ears. However, I don't think you here should bother too much about the "people will notice" thing. From my view nobody has paid particular attention to that, it's not as visible/audible to others as it may seem.
Hi to all
i decided to change the way to face this issue and try a different (but simultaneous) therapy
There can be a lot of organic reasons for the continue swallowing
http://www.achooallergy.com/sinus-problems-faq.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-nasal_drip
Today i will be visited by an Otolaryngologist
I think i have nothing to lost
Love to all
Italyguy from Rome
Hi all. A little introduction. I'm a male, 43 and have had this.....well, what do you call it....er "problem", "annoyance", "pain in the butt" since I was about 17 years old.
I've got no idea how the thought of "oh, go on swallow again". Then 1 minute later "well, swallow again". Then, well you get them message.
From an early age I like most on here have had a bizarre feeling of wanting or thinking about the act of swallowing. Virtually 24/7.
My day consists of swallowing around once every minute. This is obviously not normal and before the day of the internet, I thought I was going crazy. I thought, as many have on here, that I was the only one. No one else has this feeling. I'd watch the tv and think "he hasn't swallowed for 10 minutes", or I'd watch a conversation on a bus and think "how can you talk for that long without swallowing?". Weird.
Fortunately, it hasn't got in the way of life in general. I've held a steady job all my life, married and have lots of friends. I think I'm now at the stage whereby I can cover it up very well. ie If I know we have friends over, having a cup of tea is a great distraction. I'd also sit in a position in a room where I feel comfortable and won't be the focus of the conversation. Wearing maybe a polo neck jumper or something similar is a good distraction. Having a conversation with your hand resting on your chin also covers up the odd swallow from people noticing strange behaviour.
Now I've found the internet forums on this problem I tried over the last year to help myself. I've never had therapy.
One of the best bits of advise I read was do not place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Rest it so the tip touches the inside bottom set of teeth.
What I've searched for is "over active salivary glands" or "too much saliva", and what I've found is a large percentage of people produce too much saliva. If you do, what do you need to do? Swallow. That led me to believe I may be one of those people that have over active glands. Could this be the answer to my 20+ years of living with this?
I then found a medicine called Saltropine which drastically reduces saliva. With this information in hand I made a visit to my GP.
I was informed Saltropine is normally issued to patients with Parkinsons. He had never heard about hyper swallowing (like most GP's) and instead gave me a medicine for IBS which "may" reduce saliva. He said come back if the medicine did not work.
Well, unfortunately, it did not. I'm now considering asking for Saltropine to give it a go. The only downside is that it may reduce heart rate by 4 beats per minute. I could live with that.
I have even searched where I could find Saltropine online. Which I have. $85 for 100 tablets. If my GP doesn't listen to my problems I think I may need to purchase the tablets from abroad. There is no prescription needed.
I'm not convinced I've got OCD. I believe I swallow far less when I spit the saliva out into a cup. Therefore if the saliva wasn't in my mouth to begin with, I would obviously swallow less? What do you think?
I'm glad I've put pen to paper about this because I know exactly how you are feeling. I know there aren't many "normal" people out there. Everyone has their flaws, but I would like a bit of normality when it comes to swallowing.
Look after yourself.
Captain Caveman
17-12-10, 22:22
Hi. I haven't read the entire thread, but talking about swallowing reminded me of something I read in the past on an article by an expert in obsessive and compuslive behaviour, Dr Steven Phillipson:
"To illustrate this dilemma, let’s look at the naturally occurring behaviors of blinking and swallowing. For instance, the mind tells the patient to swallow or blink, now! The dilemma is as follows: “If I swallow now, won’t that be giving into the spike? If I resist giving into the command, then I’m avoiding engaging in the naturally occurring action of swallowing. What’s a good patient to do?” The very skilled patient will now accept that all blinks in the future will be the “wrong” blink and accept that all blinks are actually performing a ritual. This choice will influence the brain to stop scrutinizing “getting the therapy right.” Ultimately most Pure-O’s and people with a perfectionistic mentality end up spending a great deal of wasted time making sure that they are managing the disorder in a “correct” way. Living in a world of no answers is essential to being able to make a choice and move on." http://www.ocdonline.com/Rethinkingtheunthinkable.php
Hi,
My swallowing problem is similar to others, it has come and gone throughout my life but has always been linked to an underlying stress or problem. Once this is addressed it has always depreciated because the underlying anxiety in me has reduced...! If that makes any sense!
Anyway as I write this I do have a big anxiety that I am living with, which is making my OCD with swallowing difficult.
Any advice gladly taken, although if it helps anyone else... through my years of suffering on and off (mostly off by the way :-) reading Clare Weekes' book on self help for your nerves is wonderful.
Hello I hope you are having a good bay. I have had this for about two years, its very load and also other convulsive problem.
Please learn to relax, start meditation try sport get away from tv and not being positively stimulated. I have read so much about mind control positive thinking and spiritual matter to try and heal myself. Keep faith, know you are fine and stay on the now, get on with life or you will find you spent so long trying to stop one thing you forgot about all the things you wanted to start.
We live in an amazing universe full if miracles, people have had their vision given to them who were blind.
To be honest I was surprised I wasn't the only one. So please everyone know you are perfect and fill your mind with positive thought pushing out the old.
Read heilbanbao's comment he is a very wis man.
I wish you al the best may you feel the healing forced of the universe heal you. Ant take control you gave yourself this only you can take it away.
Peace and love
johnny boy
08-02-11, 02:05
hello guys just thought I'd say that im doing a lot better for about 4months and just recently I have been struggling eating (swallowing food) and its just stupid anxiety again gets on my nerves. I personally don't think I will ever be right now but its just is really tiring I am coping a lot better with swallowing not as much! its just its moved on to swallowing food.
anyway I hope the new year 2011 is a good one for all of you and I hope you all have less anxiety's
Jay!!!!!!!
Only a brief reply here. I have had this problem building for years; it was always worse when I was out anywhere or eating in anyone's presence ( it got to be even my dad, who was the only person I had regular daily contact with)
You try to eat and its like the motor reaction shuts down and you choke, or regurgitate what you have eaten ( this happens with pills too ) I had no idea till I read this thread that this kind of thing is related to my other problems. I even read it might be a sign of being diabetic ( it wasn't ) about 90% of the time I'm OK when eating on my own. Though I have noticed if I'm thinking about life and its worries / the future. Then I start to choke and the food wont go down or gets stuck.
Found an article regarding this particular type of OCD, where awareness of swallowing is included in the list of "sensorimotor obsessions":
http://www.ocdchicago.org/index.php/experts-perspectives/article/when_automatic_bodily_processes_become_conscious_h ow_to_disengage_from/
Apparently this is not a very common form of OCD, but it's comforting to read that such preoccupations have been categorized and that there are different forms of treatments available (especially the "mindfulness" part was an interesting read).
Captain Caveman
16-03-11, 06:44
Nice link JES.
ineedanswers
26-03-11, 01:14
Hey guys i just want to say that i can remember the exact moment that this OCD began, what i was doing and where i was. I have been swallowing compulsively since 2003, it occupies my thoughts constantly and there has been almost nothing that i can do to stop it. I have had CBT and tried medication (i cant take it because it makes me feel anxious???) This problem has affected my work, social and love life. Its hard to sleep next to someone if you swallow until you fall asleep. Being in situations that require being quiet for extended periods of time such as movies, long journeys on public transport etc i avoid. My CBT therapist said that its in my head, no one can hear me when i swallow and this is what drove me to feel like i was going crazy. I tried to get opinions from my mates and family and they are now sick of the issue and think its trivial. I know for a fact that people hear me when i swallow/gulp. It makes them feel anxious or uncomfortable and makes them conscious of their own swallowing (im sure you have all experienced this catch on effect) Ofcourse the logical way of looking at this is if you have caused the people around you to feel anxious because of your swallowing its something that is NEGATIVE. This means that if i want people in my company to feel comfortable around me i must not swallow- IMPOSSIBLE. This creates constant thoughts about NOT swallowing rather than forgetting about it. I think about it multiple times an hour and iv spent years of my life feeling guilty about it. I thought that it may stop the older i get but its only getting worse. I dream of a world thats either ok with my swallowing or one where i just dont swallow compulsively. I have so much to talk about on this topic, it is why i signed up. I will post more in the near future. I need answers!!!!!??????????
The more I read the posts here, the more I've become convinced that this is actually more of an anxiety problem than just plain ocd. Obsessions themselves naturally create anxiety but the fact that this problem (for some) is so pronounced in social situations makes it more related to a kind of anxity (triggered by the social situation).
ineedanswers, I think you are a bit overly worried about the "social situations" part of this problem. I can assure that the swallowing act is much more audible to yourself than others, therefore you may think it sounds loud, while in fact it's mostly because your auditory senses are much closer to your throat than what the people around you. I wouldn't really spend too much time worrying about that aspect - anyway some people swallow louder, some less loud, that's what I have noticed while dealing with this problem.
But if you can't get around the anxiety I would not rule out the use of medication. Some common medications (mainly SSRIs) are known to cause more anxiety in the first few weeks of use, but after that the effect should decrease, and if not there are always other options, although I'm not the right person to recommend you anything based on this.
Hey guys i just want to say that i can remember the exact moment that this OCD began, what i was doing and where i was. I have been swallowing compulsively since 2003, it occupies my thoughts constantly and there has been almost nothing that i can do to stop it. I have had CBT and tried medication (i cant take it because it makes me feel anxious???) This problem has affected my work, social and love life. Its hard to sleep next to someone if you swallow until you fall asleep. Being in situations that require being quiet for extended periods of time such as movies, long journeys on public transport etc i avoid. My CBT therapist said that its in my head, no one can hear me when i swallow and this is what drove me to feel like i was going crazy. I tried to get opinions from my mates and family and they are now sick of the issue and think its trivial. I know for a fact that people hear me when i swallow/gulp. It makes them feel anxious or uncomfortable and makes them conscious of their own swallowing (im sure you have all experienced this catch on effect) Ofcourse the logical way of looking at this is if you have caused the people around you to feel anxious because of your swallowing its something that is NEGATIVE. This means that if i want people in my company to feel comfortable around me i must not swallow- IMPOSSIBLE. This creates constant thoughts about NOT swallowing rather than forgetting about it. I think about it multiple times an hour and iv spent years of my life feeling guilty about it. I thought that it may stop the older i get but its only getting worse. I dream of a world thats either ok with my swallowing or one where i just dont swallow compulsively. I have so much to talk about on this topic, it is why i signed up. I will post more in the near future. I need answers!!!!!??????????
I dont have any answers but i recognise everything your saying here...the feeling cos u seem to let other people "catch"it..difficulties during movies,in bed with someone,etc..yah same here..a total social life killer
I too suffer from obsessive swallowing...I am not sure why exactly but i've never fit into society or had much friends and for a good period of my life i aimlessly used to go on social networking sites and what i believe to be worry about myself and how i never used to fit in.
I am very quiet and people have told me i am quite weird...so this prevents me from further socialising. I am happy with my life right now, i have deleted myself of these social networks, forgetting about my peers and taking more care of myself, I have always exercised the right amount/ eat quite healthily/ its just the social/mental aspect of my life that appears to have triggered this obsession of mine.
I am interested to know if this occurs mainly in extroverts or introverts like myself.
I am also wandering if anyone has had this swallowing obsession and managed to get rid of it...does it require complete relaxation/meditation or can trying to live a normal life and forgetting about 'it' help to get over it.
I too suffer from obsessive swallowing...I am not sure why exactly but i've never fit into society or had much friends and for a good period of my life i aimlessly used to go on social networking sites and what i believe to be worry about myself and how i never used to fit in.
I am very quiet and people have told me i am quite weird...so this prevents me from further socialising. I am happy with my life right now, i have deleted myself of these social networks, forgetting about my peers and taking more care of myself, I have always exercised the right amount/ eat quite healthily/ its just the social/mental aspect of my life that appears to have triggered this obsession of mine.
I am interested to know if this occurs mainly in extroverts or introverts like myself.
I am also wandering if anyone has had this swallowing obsession and managed to get rid of it...does it require complete relaxation/meditation or can trying to live a normal life and forgetting about 'it' help to get over it.
Its good that somehow your still happy, even alone.it means your very strong.
I am a loner too,but i cant say im happy,i need people in my life,but its so hard with this problem.
Its good that somehow your still happy, even alone.it means your very strong.
I am a loner too,but i cant say im happy,i need people in my life,but its so hard with this problem.
Thanks for the reply, well my family give me lots of sppport and there are some people in my life who i would call my friends. I don't know the extent to which your alone.
Can I ask how long you have been obsessively swallowing, and when/why it started? Do you suffer from anxiety as well?
Thanks for the reply, well my family give me lots of sppport and there are some people in my life who i would call my friends. I don't know the extent to which your alone.
Can I ask how long you have been obsessively swallowing, and when/why it started? Do you suffer from anxiety as well?
About 14 years now i think,and since a few years i guess i suffer from Anxiety too.I dunno how it started,i kinda just became aware of it in long bus trips to school.
Hi! I started "conscious swallowing" when stressed (and also as a result of acid reflux originally). I found it helpful to just accept it and treat it like hiccups.... just let it be (annoying as it is) and now I find it happens less and less and- when it does happen- I just think, it's no big deal.
I tried hypnosis when I was feeling really anxious about it- like would I have to swallow consciously forever?- and this just kind of chilled me out, though it was no magic cure or anything.
I also find it weirdly comforting that whales only half sleep because they consciously breathe! Weird hey? But they seem to get by fine :)
My best wishes to you all.
Hi! I started "conscious swallowing" when stressed (and also as a result of acid reflux originally). I found it helpful to just accept it and treat it like hiccups.... just let it be (annoying as it is) and now I find it happens less and less and- when it does happen- I just think, it's no big deal.
I tried hypnosis when I was feeling really anxious about it- like would I have to swallow consciously forever?- and this just kind of chilled me out, though it was no magic cure or anything.
I also find it weirdly comforting that whales only half sleep because they consciously breathe! Weird hey? But they seem to get by fine :smile:
You won't choke, or stop breathing.
My best wishes to you all.
back then I was a normal person..until my first year college..my story>> I was in my class room sitting next to my classmate. I noticed when he recites his saliva was all over his mouth d and to the point that he can't speak clearly but he continued speaking..then after he's on his chair and I noticed he kept on bowing and swallow his saliva but I just ignored him..after a week we had a practice in auditorium and that classmate was one of them. I noticed every one of us are very happy and participating to whats happening in the stage, but he was the only one who is sleeping or pretending to be by hiding his face on the chair, so I think he's hiding again his swallowing thing. but then again I ignored it and it did not affect me. until I was with my cousin.. I noticed every time we go out he has to have something to drink while talking to me and my sister, but he continued swallowing even after he has nothing to drink...So I thought that was his way of hiding it..after that day I started to worry my own swallowing and I felt uncomftable sleeping besidesmy sister, worrying that she may saw me swallowing my saliva, I had a hard time sleeping that night..the following days I usually swallow air frequently. but then saliva kicked in and my life was ruined back then...forgot to mention before this swallowing thing happened to me...my not "so so" problem was perspiring a lot when I get nervous, embarassed or when someone is looking at me ,but its now more uncommon to happen to me than swallowing.. I wish I never met those persons in my life and also I wish when Im in heaven there are no such thing as swallowing.....
westofengland
01-10-11, 08:39
it's just amazing to read this. I used to worry about saliva and swallowing to. It started in a biology lesson at school when I was about 12 or 13 and as with the people above, it turned into a worry - "am i salivating too much, will it hurt me" etc etc. It lasted into my early 20s. I never really told anyone about it and back then there wasn't anything like this support forum; access to medical information was limited too (probably not a bad thing!). Anyway I now recognise it as the beginnings of my OCD. How did I beat it? I don't think I did really, but i moved away from that particular obsession by just getting on with my life. I eventually realised that saliva is actually pretty good stuff, it digests food and keeps your mouth clean.
Sadly I am not totally clear of OCD - it's returned in lots of other forms of health anxiety - but it's a huge relief (even at the age of 47) that other people have this or had it, and I did in fact have OCD and health anxiety as a teenager. It helps me understand my OCD behaviour now!
Geoff
Hi,
I was afraid of public speaking since a kid, a fear caused or reinforced by a slight lisp. So having to give speeches was the worst-possible thing, in my mind at least. In one such instance in secondary school, I inwardly caved in to fear while speaking in front of my classmates. Afterwards I noticed that I was involuntarily swallowing at more or less regular intervals. I became aware of it, and tragically, ashamed of it, which perpetuated this reaction.
Fast-forward to the present, as I don't see a point in dwelling on my on/off episodes of this compulsive disorder. Yesterday I happened to read these three words: LOVE CONQUERS FEAR.
These words immediately rang true with me, though I'm not a cordial or mushy person, and I don't blame some of you for thinking that I finally lost it. But let me tell you the following effects that this mindset has had on me:
1. Loving the people around you (instead of being afraid of their imagined judgement of you) shifts the focus from yourself to others.
2. Since you love others, you naturally assume that they will forgive you for being anxious and swallowing more than an average person would, which helps abate this very anxiety.
3. Love is a reward in itself, and adds to your relaxation and the warm feeling inside.
I admit this approach on an emotional level sounds stupidly New-Agey, but since it works for me, why not give it a try? It's easier to start with just "liking" people :-)
Be well
I read this is called sensorimotor OCD. Some good resources:
http://www.steveseay.com/sensorimotor-body-focused-obsessions-ocd/
http://beyondocd.org/expert-perspectives/articles/when-automatic-bodily-processes-become-conscious-how-to-disengage-from-sens
Now here's a funny thing, or really I mean ..... interesting I suppose. Since this thread caught my eye, I've noticed my swallowing. Luckily I am able to not think about it but I can very much relate to why this could be a problem for some people.
I recall in my early 20's for a few weeks I was way too aware of swallowing. Rather than it being automatic, of course it became way too noticeable to me. All because one afternoon talking to my scary boss, I did get a bit self-conscious. Then I tried to swallow while talking to him. Of course it sort of got stuck half way through. Then I was scared I might be sick.... Goodness only knows why I made that link but I think I had some crazy connection between inability to swallow and that happening.
Amazing isn't it. This situation hasn't happened since. This would be.....(dare I admit)... 30yrs ago but I have never forgotten it.
Our minds are really rather amazing. The way we struggle sometimes to remember skills we are trying to learn...such as times tables, spelling of words. Then there's names, dates and so on that we struggle to recall.
And yet things which happened to us only once many years ago are so vivid that if you could apply the same technique to learning things it would be amazing.
So relieved to know im not the only one going through this, feel like im gonna choke on thick saliva and mucus :( makes my panic /anxiety attacks worse and I constantly feel the need to swallow which again worsens the situation, its good to know that people have gotten through this but I find it hard, I just wanna be back to my normal self and be like one of these people who have fought through it. I've been going through this for a month ad half now and it just worries me that this will never go away and ill always be like this I can't even eat food properly anymore just find myself losing my appetite and I never wanna go out. Just wanna be able to talk to someone properly who has been in this position and who will be able to understand and help me cuz this is just taking over my life now :(
Many Thousands of people suffering this "Body focussed obsession problem" which is "Virtuality not exist" without asking professional help from psycotherapists and when they attempt to find a solution over the web unfortunatelly they are finding hopeless informations since the people who solved this problem aren't sharing their experience or rarely sharing and 20-30 untherapied sufferers among of over 100 thousands people sharing their stucks on bodily process at forums. Consequently people who just begin or continuosly suffer this problem searching solution over web becoming hopeless for long years withot contacting professionalist or finding a correct information. Recently promising informations are leaving by doctors and it looks promising for future.
I just wanted to register and share this post as a faithfull person to tell people there are certain solutions to get rid of this problem Which I got treated from them and even I am aware of this suffer now I am not contaminating and not having symptoms(swallowing is not a symptom itself-symptom means is different will explain below), I had all kind of OCD's and treated with correction of "Incorrect assesments" whichever get you stuck on your swallow control or other anxieties. For example one Incorrect assesments is people are mostly dont know that swallowing is already a conscious process and brain focus shares some % part during processes occur and they thought when they become conscious they are stuck its but its WRONG, you are and everybody already doing this process(around per 30 sec. during day) as conscious only difference is we were controlling this with a few second focus ,Key info is our mind is very widely and our focus are completely FREE from our body that people which able to do meditation can understand what does it mean. I will write more widely way to overcome this problem that "actually not exist" in future but summarily just dont judge yourself by having swallow and everyday spent a certain time to do it voluntarily without judging yourself and accept this process and you will learn that while swallowing and regulating your mouth you are also able to do your daily works without anxiety since you have already all controls and your mind totally FREE to work or rest you dont need to focus %100 just control it with %2-3 and do your job with rest, after some weeks or months you will start boring focusing your swallow and your %focus mind will shift to other things by time passing and anxiety decreasing, it may take 1 months to 1 year less or more, completely depend on your situation and finding your problems and answers. As I said your mind is very widely and you can do more than one job per time. For example you can talk someone while you are driving and you dont even notice when did you drive, or you can thinking deeply while brushing teeths and more.
I just shared some summarily key infos and wanted to tell people this case is easily curable by mental control. For any question feel free to contact at lanepath hotmail
SuperInfinity
12-11-13, 20:13
^ Thanks for trying to help people. It's a really horrible problem for some people.
I find that biting both sides of my tongue may help me a bit sometimes. I think maybe it slows production of saliva or something, maybe it just makes you a little less conscious of what's happening there.
pardon for my bad/crap english but i cant find any topics like this in my country websites
Actually i feel abit happy coz im not alone ...
i got this swallowing OCD or whatever about 6-7 years ago ( when i was in high school , dont know how/why i got this ****ing disaster OCD ) My whole life's turned into a mess .
i was a good student in middle school , good grades , good sociable , made alot of frds .
But in high school ? i got zero frd . Not even a single one ( haha what a nerd ...)
All i can remember that time is swallow ... I swallow my saliva every minute I don't know where this is coming from ,im afraid people hear my throat making noises all the time because I am swallowing my saliva too many times ( i bow to the table , use hand to block my neck so ppl cant see/hear i swallow saliva ) And the worst thing happended to me was the time i was forced to answer the teacher's question , but i cant speak, my mouth was full of saliva , im so scared to swallow it so i keep silence ( staying silence for around 5 mins + ) The whole class look at me like im an alien ... ( This is my trauma ... Haha who wants to be like this ... )
And now 6-7 years has passed but i still cant get rid of this ****ing OCD .
i hate ( im scared actually ) quiet places , i cant sleep near some1 else , i always do some stupid things so people cant see/hear i swallow . That makes me being alone all the time to feel comfortable , but i dont want to be lonely ...
Im so sick of this swallowing obsession . Seems like i was trapped in the prison being tortured all day everyday and theres no way to stop it . i wish this was all a dream . I want to back in time when i dont know the thing called swallowing ... Im so tired ... so tired right now ... **** my life
Btw any1 got the same sensorimotor OCD as me please pm me ur yahoo or facebook account so i can add you . Maybe we can help each other ...
danielgabriel97
25-08-14, 18:40
Hi Mental Health Forum,
I am looking for some quick practical support. I struggle with sensorimotor OCD, and have used some ERP to overcome my swallowing compulsions. However, the OCD has now moved to my blinking, which I am constantly aware of, and despite using some of these techniques to lower my anxiety or ritual by which I blink, I keep giving into the compulsion of blinking because it is a moment by moment bodily process which cannot be stopped. Swallowing was different because the thoughts that I needed to swallow came more than the actual need to swallow, so I was able to let the thought wear out and not give in. I am asking you for practical tips on how to overcome the awareness and compulsion of blinking, since it is an action I cannot stop. How would you modify the ERP or CPT? I am not looking for prescriptions, therapists (which have been ineffective), etc., but simply some practical, hands on methods to deal with blinking OCD.
MyNameIsTerry
26-08-14, 03:39
Hi Daniel,
I've commented on the other thread with a link that may help you, I hope so anyway.
Here is the link for anyone on this thread as it mentions swallowing as well:
http://beyondocd.org/expert-perspectives/articles/when-automatic-bodily-processes-become-conscious-how-to-disengage-from-sens
jwknowsbest
06-10-14, 17:52
Hi Everyone, I have dealt with this too throughout my life. I did some research on it and came to realize that it is not 'truly' automatic and that there is some element of consciousness even to a small degree. It's one of the most complex reflexes in the human body which takes over 40 muscles to complete. The trick is not to make a habit of it. See I was sucking/spitting like every 10-15 seconds to the point where I was almost drowning in it. Its frustrating and annoying as f--- believe me, I know. You have to work on pushing it to the back of your mind to the point where it gradually decreases. What you need to ask yourself is not 'how can I get rid of this' but 'how can I care about his less'.
Not to capitalize on anyone's pain but I read an article once about a man who had a stroke and loss the ability to do so. He needed the assistance of a machine and took years for to relearn how to do it naturally...yikes. Have to think to yourself no matter how bad you may have something chances are there is someone going through it worse.
I hope this helps and if anyone else has any tips, feedback or advice please feel free to contact me.
- Jonny
gozluklume
10-11-14, 18:40
Hello everyone
I am so happy for sharing my feelings with you, writing the words that you understand.
I have suffered from sooo many different types of obsessions. I had this swallowing one when I was kid. And it is annoying to know that I recalled it back today, when I am 32. My obsessions have damaged my career, my friends, my love, everything. Sometimes I find myself thinking about what my life would be if I havent had OCD. A different job, a different city… I admit they would be all better, not solely different.
What I understood in that period (more than 25 years), I have never totally beat my OCDs. Some of my OCDs were automatically passed, for example, after I felt in love to a hardy girl (of course she became my new obsession ) or found a different “hot” obsession on that time.
But… I don’t think that I was defeated I had PhD and became one of the best in my field. (OCD really helps to focus on science) And I could stay popular. Health related obsessions taught me that tomorrow is not guaranteed. It further motivated me to live at the moment. Love more, meditate more, listen yourself without judging and never stuck on daily *ull s*ht. So I can tell you, my friends, never further beat yourself for having such obsessions. Accept yourself.. Try not to fight against darkness, focus on the light, which is the love, loving yourself…
Cheers
Well welcome you all.... I joined the club also 3 days ago with this sympthom. :mad:
I went to the dentist and he did some dentalwork on a tooth. After that he said I should use some mouthwater he prescribed.
After using that I got more saliva in my mouth and I thought... "What the hack is happening?" So I called the dentist and he said to stop it immidiatly......so I did....the saliva went away but for some odd reason I'm 100% aware of myself swallowing the whole day. I got panic-attacks from it which made it even worse of course....and also like a lot of you i thought I was the only one having this issue.
I also have Tinnitus so live is becoming a big peace of crap...but I won't give up. I see a therapist on december 18th and I will deal with this even when there are days that I like to give up.... I just will not.... it's a normal proces of the body that is now in your concious so it can also can get to my unconcious again.... for god sake it's normal swallowing...why do I hate it so much now...when I do it all my life !!!
Stay strong people...I hope people keep posting if they find a way to deal with this.
jwknowsbest
08-12-14, 20:39
Hi everyone, having revisited this post again I can totally relate with UK-83 almost to a T. I had this problem about 5yrs ago when I was under a lot of stress going back to school and starting a new job. It lasted for about 2 weeks then completely went away on its own. Ive always been really healthy and never had any other anxieties or issues. About 6 months ago it came up again on its own basically with just the thought of 'what if I started to think about my swallowing again?' then lone behold it stuck but this time with a vengeance. I read the same articles by Dr. Kruger and Dr. Seavy (and just about everything on the web) but with not much success. I understand the concepts of ERP but the more I focus on it doesn't really help. What makes it worse is that I didnt know it was an actual thing and I thought it was me doing it as nervous behaviour or something. Now i realize its an actual reflex that your body does approx every 30 seconds. I fear that I know too much and now that the 'unconscious' chain is broken how can I ever get this back subconsciously? Its so rare and when I tell people about it they think I am being silly or over dramatic. Its so annoying and repetitive that Im not sure what works. It becomes so consuming and I feel like I am in a haze and that the rest of my life is kind of in the background. I am just going through the daily motions and not really 'living' if anyone can relate. Anyways there are people out there who claim they have been able to overcome this and if anyone has suggestions or feedback please feel free to email me at jwknowsbest hotmail
MyNameIsTerry
09-12-14, 03:17
Hi everyone, having revisited this post again I can totally relate with UK-83 almost to a T. I had this problem about 5yrs ago when I was under a lot of stress going back to school and starting a new job. It lasted for about 2 weeks then completely went away on its own. Ive always been really healthy and never had any other anxieties or issues. About 6 months ago it came up again on its own basically with just the thought of 'what if I started to think about my swallowing again?' then lone behold it stuck but this time with a vengeance. I read the same articles by Dr. Kruger and Dr. Seavy (and just about everything on the web) but with not much success. I understand the concepts of ERP but the more I focus on it doesn't really help. What makes it worse is that I didnt know it was an actual thing and I thought it was me doing it as nervous behaviour or something. Now i realize its an actual reflex that your body does approx every 30 seconds. I fear that I know too much and now that the 'unconscious' chain is broken how can I ever get this back subconsciously? Its so rare and when I tell people about it they think I am being silly or over dramatic. Its so annoying and repetitive that Im not sure what works. It becomes so consuming and I feel like I am in a haze and that the rest of my life is kind of in the background. I am just going through the daily motions and not really 'living' if anyone can relate. Anyways there are people out there who claim they have been able to overcome this and if anyone has suggestions or feedback please feel free to email me at jwknowsbest hotmail
Have you read the article I posted 26/08/2014 above? Whilst that discussed ERP, it also offers Mindfulness as a possible treatment for this. I think this might help you because you mentioned you can't take your attention away from this and Mindfulness can be used to examine behaviour and what you learn through it is to be non judgemental towards what you are examining so rather than habituate to it through ERP, you could change your consciousness of it instead so that you notice it less because it becomes a sensation/bodily function that you start to see as natural and controlled for you instead of by you.
Is see a therapist in 2 hours regarding this issue... hang in there I know it's terrible because I have it too. My girl friend had it for 7 months and it went away. And there are other people that it went away by itself. Just have faith.... that is all I can say..... I have major anxiety at the moment also and can almost not function at work, but I have a son of 2 years and I want him to see grow up..... my love is stronger than this.... don't fight it...it will make matters worse
I go in half an hour and let you know my anxiety is also 10/10 at the moment.... But some good news though... I had the obsessive swallowing for 4 days and it went away.... bad thing....I'm now aware of my tongue 24/7 ..... and it feels just as bad. Everything in the mouth feels bad because you cannot escape it for a second. :weep:
But we are not giving up.... !!!
---------- Post added at 17:12 ---------- Previous post was at 13:23 ----------
Ok i just went to therapie and for sure I know it's my anxiety that is playing tricks on me.... The moment I calmed down I became less aware of everything. When I went away I didn't even think about my tongue or swallow behaviour. I go back tomorrow 12:00.
The therapy is with a hypnotherapist and he understood what I was going through but the symptoms were knows to him so I was happy I didn't surprised him with somethin new.
The session was about 2 hours and he realy took his time to get everything out of me and showed some anxiety control that realy helped.
I feel relaxed for now... I don't know what tomorrow brings but for the moment I'm out of panic attack mode.
That's great news Rico. I also saw a therapist for the first time tonight and she says similar to what you were told, it's not so much the physical issue we are feeling but the way we react to the ensuing anxiety that causes all our problems. I still feel tense but much better than earlier. Great to hear you are also feeling better :)
Yes for me the same I thought I would be in panic-mode already but now I can give it a place so I feel a little more relax.
I still feel my tongue but I care a littlebit less now. The swallowing is realy gone....weird...... I realy do not pay attention to it anymore.
Now to get rid of the tongue stuff and I'm good to go :yesyes:
Perhaps it takes a view days or weeks or months, but if you get your anxiety about it way down you will slowly forget about it and make it no more issue.
Anyway I will try to stay positive.. I will post my progression, but if I do not post anymore...I forgot about the issue :) and went on with my life
Keep calm dude....I had the same... I think it's because you want it to be over quick and you felt good for a moment. Everymorning I'm at rock bottom and try to climb out of it and yes I also got the suicide thought, but you must not let it get to you.
Take oxazepam or what ever to get you anxiety down.... believe me I also have Tinnitus and I will not give up even when I feel so depressed that I cannot take it anymore...and yes this was also for me the last 3 days !!! Because with the therapist I felt alive again, but you have to do the most of the stuff yoursellf and that is positive thinking and that is very hard to do sometimes.
You have to believe this will pass....otherwise you just keep thinking about it.
Stay strong even when knowing you have not 1 second rest in your head.... eventualy you will. My girfriend had it. My girlfriends mother had it and over time it went away. So I just endure hell at the moment and talk to a therapist....but I will keep having the hope this is just for sometime. :unsure:
Keep calm dude....I had the same... I think it's because you want it to be over quick and you felt good for a moment. Everymorning I'm at rock bottom and try to climb out of it and yes I also got the suicide thought, but you must not let it get to you.
Take oxazepam or what ever to get you anxiety down.... believe me I also have Tinnitus and I will not give up even when I feel so depressed that I cannot take it anymore...and yes this was also for me the last 3 days !!! Because with the therapist I felt alive again, but you have to do the most of the stuff yoursellf and that is positive thinking and that is very hard to do sometimes.
You have to believe this will pass....otherwise you just keep thinking about it.
Stay strong even when knowing you have not 1 second rest in your head.... eventualy you will. My girfriend had it. My girlfriends mother had it and over time it went away. So I just endure hell at the moment and talk to a therapist....but I will keep having the hope this is just for sometime. :unsure:
Your words are very helpful Rico, thank you so much.
That's why we are here for m8 to support and help eachother ... I hope more people can share their experience here because this thread is viewed a lot but not much people post here.
:welcome:
Yes yes yes and yes :blush:
I know exactly what you are going through. When I wake up the first thing I feel is my tong and than it's swallow time.
Believe me .... I think it will pass, but it will not be overnight.... it just wil not be. Because that is to easy. I feel the same as you and believe me a lot of people with these problems are.
Sometimes I focus myself 100% on it and get depressive ... so try to do other things ...no matter how hard it is to get the energy ...but staying at home in bed does not going to help you. Because you will be even more busy with it.
You will get there....it will take time but you will get there.
This is tuff, but believe me loud tinnitus is also tuff and I got both..... so it always can get worse.
Try to stay positive and let the anxiety take over your body and don't fight it .... the more you do the harder it gets.
And no I also do not have all the answers, but this feels the same ass the onset of my tinnitus...I was in total panic mode....and now this...but after 2 weeks now I hate it still as much, but I try to not focus on it and I notice my reaction is less panic than before....but I also have a very very very long way to go.
But like I said....if you want you get there ....a lot of people dealt with it and so can we.
:bighug1:
Hi
I posted on health anxiety with no replies, I have a few problems with health anxiety after I was assaulted over a year ago, worst at moment is swallowing, coughing sinus problems I do have reflux but this is getting behind a joke
London_Anne
22-02-15, 17:09
Hi everyone. I suffer with this type of OCD, I am often consciously aware of my swallowing when it's meant to be sub-concious. It is very, very distressing :weep: I'm trying hard to beat it but not having much luck. I have read Steve Seays website but I don't really understand his treatment advise. Any help would be appreciated from people that have gone through this.
Thank you. Anne
London_Anne
26-02-15, 12:34
^
Anyone? I'm really suffering with this and don't know what to do :frown:
Mrsmitchell1984
26-02-15, 15:23
Sorry to hear you are suffering. I have this and it is called sensorimotor ocd. The problem is the more you try to tell your brain not to concentrate on something- the more it does- so you are left with self-fullfiling anxiety. The anxiety makes your brain focus on the swallowing more.
However, when you sleep you are able to swallow- so maybe you are able to switch off of it.
If you tell yourself that it is ok to focus on your swallowing- hopefully your anxiety about it will decrease- and your mind will naturally distract itself from it.
I hope that helps a bit.
Xx
London_Anne
26-02-15, 16:28
Sorry to hear you are suffering. I have this and it is called sensorimotor ocd. The problem is the more you try to tell your brain not to concentrate on something- the more it does- so you are left with self-fullfiling anxiety. The anxiety makes your brain focus on the swallowing more.
However, when you sleep you are able to swallow- so maybe you are able to switch off of it.
If you tell yourself that it is ok to focus on your swallowing- hopefully your anxiety about it will decrease- and your mind will naturally distract itself from it.
I hope that helps a bit.
Xx
Thank you. I just find it so physically uncomfortable though, it's constant throughout the day and always there on my mind. So so frustrating and distressing :weep: I guess it's pretty rare??
Mrsmitchell1984
26-02-15, 16:48
I thought it was rare too- it you will probably see many of the same threads on here. I know it is awful- but keep telling your brain- it does not matter. It may take a while, but eventually your brain will think of something else. The aim though is to feel the sensation of swallowing without being worried about it- only then will your mind wander on its own again.
Please keep me posted on how you get on.
London_Anne
26-02-15, 17:13
I thought it was rare too- it you will probably see many of the same threads on here. I know it is awful- but keep telling your brain- it does not matter. It may take a while, but eventually your brain will think of something else. The aim though is to feel the sensation of swallowing without being worried about it- only then will your mind wander on its own again.
Please keep me posted on how you get on.
I will x
I have made this fb page to contact rach other and make a group therapy online
facebook.com/salivacontrolocd
hope you all join
Good luck
London_Anne
06-04-15, 18:30
So I believe I have found a cure for this! :)
Your brain has marked the conscious swallowing as dangerous, this explains why you keep being aware of it. For example, there will be times you may feel that you are still noticing your swallowing despite not thinking about it e.g when engrossed in a movie. I personally was literally noticing every swallow I took, the action happening around every 30 seconds, all day. Literally nothing I did could take my mind off of it.
The key to reducing this in the short term and ultimately getting rid of the problem in the long term, is to literally trick your brain into believing the obsessive swallowing is not bothering you. To do this, set aside 2 or 3 half hour slots a day (make sure you are alone and won't be interrupted) and literally lie down and purposely focus solely on your swallowing. You will need to do this every day. You will start to notice after about a week that you're not doing it quite as much as before. Gradually (and it may take months, even years) as long as you keep doing the exposure exercise, the swallowing will go back to a sub-conscious act permanently as your brain will be tricked into believing it is not bothering you anymore. Other things that you should do to help are to stop researching the problem on the internet and to keep busy in your life. Do all this and I promise you will in the end get over this!
hello everyone,i have also struggled with this problem for years and what i have found most helpful is to just let it happen,do not try to fight it and let it take its course,it is not a dangerous habit and nothing will happen to you no matter how much you do it,these days i just do it here and there but i really don't care if anybody stares at me,just let it happen and stop analysing it and thinking about it so often,it does NOT do you any good trust me. if anybody comments on it straight up tell them to mind their business or better yet pretend they are the crazy ones for noticing something this small and unimportant. again do not feed this habit by giving it too much thought,if you get to a point when you in a legit way dont care about it anymore you will stop doing it completely,this is what all of us should try to achieve. also physical exercise can help out a lot,make sure you don't overeat and drink a fizzy water or two if you must since it can help a bit(but avoid sodas) also good luck to everyone here we are not alone
jwknowsbest
29-07-15, 21:10
Hi everyone, well its been over a year and still going strong. No cure just dealing with it the best I can. I am starting to believe all this is more allergy related and post nasal drip as I am constantly sniffling and clearing my throat. All my family on my mothers side suffers greatly from allergies and from what I understand these can develop as you get older in life. I would suggest to others to check out an ENT specialist (eyes, nose, throat) as you could be misdiagnosing yourself as OCD.
bluebonquet
10-11-15, 01:35
Been suffering for years now, seems the only CURE is lowering your anxiety, all my life was been finding loop holes to avoid potential stressful situations, my advice is get help early before it becomes a nightmare and ruins your entire life, medication would of helped early on and potentially stop it, now that I am a adult, medication is only means to coop with it better....
My story...
From what information I've gathered, It seems specific memories, places, smells can cause you to remember things, this is true in my case, when I first had my swallowing habit, I ONLY DID IT IN ONE CLASS IN FIRST PERIOD IN FRESHMEN YEAR, BEFORE LONG IS SPREAD TO ALL MY CLASSES(the other classes I did it but it was not as bad as first period), DURING THE SUMMER IT GOT A LOT BETTER, THEN I STARTED SCHOOL AGAIN, EVERYTHING WAS FINE FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS, THEN IT GRADUALLY STARTED GETTING WORSE, AND WORSE, AND WORSE, AND AFTER 6 MONTHS IT TURNED INTO A MAD HOUSE OF THINKING OF SWALLOWING EVERY SECOND. during this time in school I always had a bad time sleeping, it was awful, I did learn however to hold my spit in forcing me to become mute, I told everyone I had lockjaw anyways. I had to drop out of high school sophmore year and finish online, but if I'd of only dropped out of school sooner I would of been able prevent this 24/7 manual swallowing.
THE CURE
People, places, smells, causes memories to trigger, avoid all stressful places that cause you to swallow, avoid all people that remind you to swallow, if you are in school or something try to get home-schooled
jwknowsbest
23-12-15, 19:56
Ive been suffering with this issue for years too so your not alone. Some things I can suggest that will help is first off talk therapy with a psychologist, I did about 10 sessions and it really helped guide you on a path that will cope better with these symptoms. Learn techniques such as mindfulness which is simply acknowledging and observing rather than trying to change or influence the situation. Label it as 'just is' with no importance or value. The biggest struggle I had was trying stop, change and alter it. Its the stress and anxiety of trying to make it go by force and trying to find a complete cure where it would completely 'go away'. Acceptance is key, understand that its happening but you dont have to do anything with it and learning not to react to it. Avoidance is a negative strategy as it only creates more fear and anxiety. Learn that you can still enjoy people, places and situations while carrying it around with you. If you go for a walk and pass a house with a loud barking dog, avoiding would be going out of your way to walk around the block so you bypass the house all together. This is inconvenient and doesnt help with the fear of dogs but rather reinforces it. Exposure with Response prevention would be approaching the house with the barking dog and building up a tolerance until the situation isnt as fearful anymore. With enough practice you will still notice the barking dog but your reactions to the situation has changed and it doesnt bother you as much anymore. Another techniques would be Subjective Units of Distress - basically saying 'ya this kinda sucks and its annoying but it isnt as bad as the worst situation Ive ever encountered or say something like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.' when you have something to compare it to re-evaluate your stress level and say ok my it has reduced to say 30%. Medication should be used as a tool for coping and not a cure. I found medication useful but the side effects outweighed the benefits for my situation. Some remedies I suggest would be exercise, chewing gum (keeps your mind busy while doing other things), sipping on water throughout the day and breathing exercises such as meditation. I wish you all the best and remember its only as important was we choose to make it.
MyNameIsTerry
27-12-15, 04:27
THE CURE
People, places, smells, causes memories to trigger, avoid all stressful places that cause you to swallow, avoid all people that remind you to swallow, if you are in school or something try to get home-schooled
I completely disagree with you on this. Avoiding something out of fear is a well known reinforcing action in any anxiety disorder. There are patterns in OCD which can easily be seen to intensify due to avoidance. Just look at how a parent with POCD avoids their own child due to experiencing the thoughts around them and fearing they could abuse them. How is that a cure?
You will just shrink your world down and make it twice as hard to recover as your safe zone will be tiny. For many, there will be no such safe zone either as it will plague them at home or anywhere.
I had this problem and tried to overcome it by sipping water every time I felt the need to swallow. This helped me resist the urge to swallow.
I have this too. Doctor says it's anxiety. I also get chest pains and weird sensations in my arms, like a tight feeling. Tight jaw.
I feel cold and weird like there's something wrong with me. All these little symptoms.
HarleyMarshall
11-02-17, 13:09
Hi does anyone focus on there breathing 24/7 if so could someone pm me please
If you’re having a lot of anxiety and can’t stop thinking about a bodily sensation like blinking, breathing or swallowing, then you probably have what’s called sensorimotor OCD.
I’m fortunate to be someone who successfully recovered from sensorimotor OCD. As theres still a lack of information on how to treat it as well as a lack of access to a suitable therapist for many, I've written a brief guide on overcoming sensorimotor OCD at https://sensorimotorocd.net/. It's based primarily on CBT and ERP. I hope it is useful to people who are struggling with this, though of course does not replace a qualified therapist who can address the issue.
bluebonquet
27-02-23, 10:26
why did it close? I've made another one on discord if anyone is interested
https://discord.gg/3AKgfy76mY
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