Have you ever been hyper-aware of your heartbeat? Or thought about breathing and now have to do it manually? Maybe you think about the feeling of swallowing and cannot escape it despite trying your hardest.
Sensorimotor OCD involves being obsessed or hyperaware of our bodily functions. It is an obsession with bodily functions and sensations, often causing anxiety. Some common sensorimotor obsessions involve the sensation of breathing, swallowing, heartbeat and blinking.
Sometimes, we discover things we just can't forget
Have you ever noticed your nose is in plain view, literally all the time?
Like, hang on, has this always been in my field of view?!
Five hours later, you’re in a work meeting and cannot stop noticing your nose is there…
This can be an example of sensorimotor OCD. Being hyperaware of our body and bodily functions with great difficulty forgetting them again.
You may have always had this, or it could be something that just occurred one day.
There are different kinds of Sensorimotor OCD
Like so much of OCD, the list can be endless. But it seems many of us share the same obsessions.
Some common sensorimotor obsessions are:
-
- heartbeat or pulse
- swallowing
- the tongue not feeling comfortable in the mouth
- skin itching, tingling or general sensations
- eye contact, or floaters in the eye
- breathing and feeling we have to breathe manually
- blinking
What makes this harder to ignore is that these are functions our bodies are constantly carrying out. The heart continues to beat. We have to blink and inhale/exhale every few seconds.
We are constantly seeking out sights and sounds that fuel this theme of OCD.
It is easy to feel like you are going insane.
It's possibe to get relief from sensorimotor obsessions
It seems impossible, especially when these things are occurring constantly, every single day. But it is possible.
Whether it is therapy or through medication, such obsessions do not have to rule our lives.
And whether it is about learning to live with certain experiences, or being able to put them to the back of our mind, taking back control is incredibly relieving.