Sensorimotor/somatic OCD has gone out of control

Hey all! I'm new to this forum, and for several years I have dealt with Anxiety and OCD. My current fixation is on my breathing, and it has been this way for the past two months now. I suffer from conscious breathing and hyperventilating to a degree it interferes with my functionality as a person. I can hardly eat, drink, sleep, or go out in public without my anxiety haunting me constantly. I feel a constant need to control my breathing, even though IT IS an involuntary process. I have little to no mechanisms or techniques to fight against this problem. Luckily, my therapist at college will be starting CBT with me as soon as I get back from winter break, but that isn't for another 3 weeks. For now, I'm asking you all to lend me a hand with any and all advice you may have! Please help, I'll do anything to beat back this fear. I'm also dealing with a fear of schizophrenia, as I'm worried that every sound I hear is a hallucination. I know that the sounds are just noises from my environment, though, my mind always thinks "what if?" It's ruining my life at this point...:weep:

Sorry to hear you're struggling with this. Your post reminds me a lot of my own symptoms. When I was a child I used to struggle with that breathing thing too. I've also been obsessed with the fact that I'm seeing or hearing. That schizo fear... don't let me even get started on that one haha! I've also had so any other themes of obsession. But let me tell you something. Those themes are not important. They come and go. Two months from now you could be here writing messages about existential ocd or fear of actually being a dog ocd. Rationally you know all that obsessing about your breathing and going crazy is irrational. You know those sounds actually come from your enviroment but you just don't feel certain. You are just using those themes to make yourself feel scared. The real problem is in how you react to uncertainty. Your brain comes up with a new "what if" and then you start using your time trying to check and ensure yourself that this "what if" is not coming true. You try to escape the uncertainty by trying to solve that uncertainty by coping, checking and controlling. But you know what? That's what ocd wants you to do because it makes ocd stronger. Compulsive behavior is what fuels ocd! You might get a short moment of relief by engaging in that type of compulsive behavior but soon you'll realize your brain comes up with the same uncertainty again. And again. These uncertainties only get more complicated and abstract with time to keep getting the same scared reaction out of you every time. This keeps going until you stop feeding ocd with compulsions. Let me give you few suggestions:
- when your brain comes up with a new uncertainty, just say to yourself "that's probably true but I'm willing to live with that uncertainty"
- always act according to the actual situation and values, not according to your impulses that try to make you avoid or control the situation - this will make your mind more flexible. You'll realize that you can do anything WHILE having that nasty thought or fear in your head. This way the obsession will slowly start to fade away
- never chase after good feelings. Be willing to feel all the anxiety in the world. This is ERP-therapy. Feeling anxious is not bad and it will not hurt you. You will have positive feelings as a natural feedback to acting according to your values. Don't even worry about it. You can have any thought, feeling, urge etc in the world and still be able to function according to your values and what matters the most. Don't be your brain's puppet!
- don't try to solve your mental illness, rather refocus your attention on something that is actually important in the moment. This feels SO counter intuitive at first but soon you'll see what I'm talking about
- identify and cut out all your compulsions (everything you do in your head or externally to cope, check & control those uncertainties/anxieties). Obsessions can't live withouth compulsions

It's simple but it will make you anxious as hell and requires hard work. I've taken huge steps in just a matter of months learning these life skills. I'd recommend checking out Mark Freeman on youtube. That guy was a life saver for me. We'll get over this together! I promise!

Hi I thinks this is the most scary symptom going I started to have this when I was told I had anxiety 3 months in knowing I had anxiety I had and ever since I got it everyday I breath manually to this day and it’s been over a year I haven’t left my house since it started so hopefully you get help really soon don’t end up like me

How is everyone coping with this?

Did you resolve this?

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.

Feel free to ask any questions.