What is Somatic Disorder and Somatic OCD?

The brain is one of the most important part of our body. It lets us know what’s going on in our bodies, our thoughts, and feelings. Sometime people can get too focused on how their bodies feel, like their heartbeats, breathing, swallowing, or even blinking. This strong focus could turn into a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder known as somatic OCD.

Somatic OCD is a kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that has to do with automatic body functions. People with this type of OCD often can’t stop noticing things that most of us don’t even think about. It can make things harder, make you more anxious, and make simple tasks seem impossible.

Diagnostic Criteria of Somatic Symptom Disorder:

According to Diagnostic and Statistical Manu of mental Disorder 5, the diagnostic criteria of somatic symptom disorder is:

Diagnostic Criteria A.

Individual is experiencing one or more than one somatic symptoms. These somatic symptoms are distressing and cause significant disruption in daily life of individual.

Diagnostic Criteria B.

Individual experience excessive feelings, behaviors and thoughts related to somatic symptoms. These somatic associated health concerns are at least one of following:

1. Significant and persistent thoughts about seriousness of somatic symptoms.
2. Individual have high level of anxiety related to health symptoms.
3. Individual spend more energy and time devoted to these symptoms and health concerns.

Diagnostic Criteria C.

Individual have somatic symptoms present for six month continuously.

How does Somatic Symptom Disorder and Somatic OCD Begin?

Somatic symptom disorder and Somatic OCD, like other types of OCD, starts with an intrusive thought or awareness. For example, a person might suddenly become aware of their heart rate. Once this happens, people may not be able to stop thinking about it. Every time they feel the sensation, their anxiety grows. They might check their pulse a lot, avoid hard work, or try to control their breathing to calm down.

These practices help with anxiety for a little while, but not for long. The somatic anxiety comes back again, and the cycle starts again. This is how obsessions and compulsions begin. You have thoughts that make you worry, and you do things over and over to try to get rid of them. But, this tendency makes the fear worse over time. Some common somatic OCD are:

1. Always thinking about blinking or breathing.
2. Worried about your heart rate or blood pressure.
3. Feeling stuck in your body and afraid that it will never end.
4. If you can’t “stop noticing,” you might think something is wrong with your body or mind.

Some common things that people are obsessed with are:

1. On purpose, trying to change your heart rate or breathing.
2. Checking how your body feels again and again.
3. Seeking comfort from doctors or family members.
4. Avoiding calm times when your body feels stronger.

These things might make you feel better for a little while, but they also train your brain to notice the same feelings over and over again. The more someone tries to “stop noticing,” the more they pay attention to the process they want to avoid.

What is the Relationship Between Somatic symptoms OCD and Anxiety?

Somatic symptoms, OCD and anxiety are closely linked. The disorder usually shows up when things are stressful or when people are more aware of themselves, like after a panic attacks. During this, people may pay more attention to how their bodies feel, especially how their heart rate or breathing changes.

As this awareness increases, the brain associates it with danger, initiating a feedback loop. The person starts to worry about how they feel, which makes the feeling even stronger. You can’t stop thinking about your body when you’re in this loop.

The physical symptoms might not be that bad, but the mental stress they cause can be very bad.    Some people say it feels like they’re stuck in their own head and can’t think of anything else.

What are treatments for Somatic Symptom Disorder?

You can treat somatic symptom disorder and somatic OCD. There are many evidence-based ways that mental health professionals can help you get your thoughts back under control and feel less anxious.

1. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

CBT is a great treatment for all types of somatic symptoms OCD. It helps people understand the thoughts that make them anxious. CBT helps people with somatic OCD by questioning their thoughts that feeling physical sensations is bad or permanent.

Patients learn through structured exercises that focusing on their heartbeat or breathing doesn’t mean something is wrong. People learn over time and with effort that their discomfort goes away on its own when they stop trying to control it.

           2. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).

Cognitive behavioral therapy relies heavily on exposure and response prevention (ERP).    People can deal with their worries without giving in to their usual urges with this plan. For example, if someone is scared of watching their breathing, they should practice sitting still and being aware of it without trying to change it.

When you do this a lot, your brain learns that it’s not dangerous to pay attention to how your body feels. Anxiety might go up at first, but it will slowly go down with each session.    Habituation is a way to change how the brain reacts to thoughts that you don’t want.

           3.Mindfulness.

Therapies based on mindfulness teach people to look at their thoughts and experiences without judging them. People learn to let their thoughts come and go instead of trying to stop them.   Mindfulness help you stop worrying about being aware of your body by letting feelings happen without worrying about them.

Mindful walking, grounding techniques, and deep breathing can all help lower stress and lessen the severity of somatic OCD symptoms over time.

       4. Medication.

To change the chemistry of the brain and stop compulsive thoughts, psychiatrists may give patients selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or other drugs. Medicine doesn’t cure OCD, but it can make therapy more effective by lowering anxiety levels.

How to Deal with Stress Every Day?

Living with somatic symptom disorder and OCD can be hard, but there are a lot of things you can do to make your life easier:

1. Don’t ask for reassurance all the time. Asking other people for reassurance keeps the cycle of obsession going.
2. Don’t try to change how your body feels; just accept it.
3. Exercise can help you relax and forget about things that are bothering you.
4. Don’t do too much research online. The more symptoms you look up, the more worried you will be.
5. Breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation are all ways to relax that can help you become more aware of your mind and body.

It takes time for things to grow, which is the most important thing. Symptoms can change, but you need to keep getting treatment for a long time to get better.

When to Seek Professional Help?

Many people with somatic symptoms disorder and OCD don’t get help because they think their symptoms are only physical. If you can’t stop thinking about your breathing, heartbeat, or other body sensations for a long time, you should probably see a mental health professional.

A therapist who is an expert in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP) can help you take back control. Getting therapy early on can help you get better faster and keep problems from spreading to other areas of your life.