Navigating Swallowing OCD: Transformative Tips from Personal Experience

Music. Hello and welcome to the OCD and Anxiety Podcast, where we explore how to have a more positive relationship with anxiety disorders, taking back control so that you can start living the life you choose and not the one chosen by your fears. Music.

Hello and welcome to episode 480 i hope that you're doing very well today and before we get started i just wanted to quickly mention my free discovery call if you're struggling with ocd and looking for personalized support then you can head over to my website robertjamescochine.com and book in there for that free discovery call. A quick trigger warning, today's episode covers swallowing focused sensory motor OCD which can be triggering for some people so please proceed mindfully.

In this episode I'll be sharing practical tips and strategies from my own personal experience dealing with swallowing OCD to help you to change your relationship with it and to reclaim more of a peaceful mind when it comes to this kind of century motor obsession and finally if you're finding this podcast helpful please do consider leaving a review only takes a few a few moments to do and it truly does help others to discover the support that they need so many thanks if you have any questions

at all do please let me know and off we go.

You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf and that's by john kabat zinn swallowing obsessions in century motor ocd involve becoming hyper aware of automatic bodily functions leading to anxiety and compulsive checking and this particular subtype can be particularly distressing because swallowing is something that of course we're naturally doing at most of the time without thinking but with Century Motor OCD this effortless action becomes an obsession causing enormous anxiety

and disruption to everyday life.

In my own journey, you know, with Sensory Motor OCD, I had a lot of obsessions surrounding the mouth, about swallowing, and I found it incredibly difficult. And I think a sense of hopelessness was something that was really at the heart of this.

Because, as I was just talking about, when you're really struggling with Sensory Motor OCD, one of the worst things about it is that the actual obsession, the thing that you're getting stuck on, Well, potentially, that is something that you can always think about. If it's swallowing, it's something that is there that you're doing a lot throughout the day. But now we've made a kind of conscious obsession about it.

We tend to feel like we need to do it more, or that we need to do it manually, or that we need to do it in a specific way. Or, you know, other obsessions are about things like, well, maybe there's something wrong with my mouth or my teeth or my tongue or my swallowing. You know, certainly for me, I spent a lot of time kind of researching those things. Am I swallowing correctly? Is there something wrong with my mouth?

And, you know, it's incredibly difficult to deal with when you're thinking about this all the time, when the whole day you're really fixated on it.

You know you're you're trying to uh you're trying to figure it out you're trying to to have more certainty about it you're trying to find the solution and actually all of these things that you're doing the checking the trying to solve it actually they become part of the kind of compulsive loop that we get stuck in and they're part of the reason for why our attention remains fixated on on the swallowing itself so here are four genuinely helpful tips that have

made a real difference for me and many others. Tip one is to cultivate hope. And it's common to feel hopeless with sensory motor OCD for all the reasons that I've just been talking about. But try to remind yourself that many people, including myself. Have actually successfully managed this type of OCD. And whilst it's challenging, it is absolutely possible to recover and actually to start living your life again.

Despite the fact that, you know, this type of OCD has come into your life, I think so many people get fixated on this idea that now that they've experienced this OCD, they can never forget about it. But in my experience, that's just not the case. That's just a trick of the OCD kind of keeping you stuck in that trap. Tip two is to give yourself permission. Start gently reminding yourself, I'm allowed to notice my swallowing.

It's okay and it's not actually a problem. And this might seem uncomfortable at first, but by normalizing your awareness, you actually start to reduce the anxiety that you've associated with it. You're training your brain that your awareness itself isn't harmful or dangerous in some way. It's simply a sensation. It doesn't need to be fixed.

I wanted to share a testimonial from someone who has worked with me in coaching. If you're looking for support with OCD, it can be helpful to hear from others who have been through the process. Here's what they had to say. I found Rob through his podcast and could not recommend coaching sessions with him enough. I have been to several therapists, each with different approaches, but none are nearly as effective as Rob's.

Rob is compassionate and understanding, and his focus on acceptance and commitment therapy, ACT, is extremely valuable. The mind can be challenging to navigate sometimes. Rob has an excellent understanding of the anxious and OCD brain, and is able to explain how to get on with enjoying your life despite these challenges. Thank you, Rob, for helping me and others. The work that you do is so valuable. I'm really grateful for those kind words.

And if you're looking for structured support with OCD, I offer a free discovery call where we can chat about your challenges and see how coaching might help. You can book that over at robertjamescoaching.com.

The link is in the show notes. Tip three is intentional exposure. Actively practice exposure by deliberately paying attention to the swallowing sensation at times. Instead of constantly pushing away, avoiding or fearing it, intentionally noticing it teaches your mind that these sensations aren't threats.

With repeated practice, your anxiety and sensitivity to swallowing sensations will actually begin to decrease and tip four is acceptance and commitment therapy ACT was actually one of the most transformative approaches for me for dealing with sensory motor OCD and it's really learning to refocus your energy and your attention onto meaningful activities in your life ultimately it's about trying to allow the swallowing to remain in the background to

realize we don't need to get rid of it and as you live your life more fully the intensity of the obsession gradually over time lessens and you find yourself noticing it less and less and over time this really did help me to to let go of swallowing OCD.

Try to remember that overcoming swallowing obsessions is about changing your relationship with the sensations not trying to eliminate them or get rid of them or push them away if you'd like additional support feel free to schedule your free discovery call at robertjamescoaching.com thank you so much for listening please do subscribe to the podcast it really does help and i will see you next time.

And now just a quick reminder of my disclaimer any information that you view on my website Instagram page Facebook group or anywhere else online or any information that you listen to on the podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical or mental health advice from a doctor psychologist or any other medical or mental health advice. Music.