[davidshq]

Hi All,
I have a sore throat. It isn't bad, it came on around 9 pm and it is now 4 am. I haven't slept. Eventually I'll get so tired that I fall asleep, but I'm not to that place yet.
I have a hypothesis that OCD makes illnesses worse, I am wondering if this is a "just me" thing, if it is true across the board (the vast majority of OCD sufferers) or if it is a niche within the larger community.
When you get sick, do you find yourself more disabled, pained, frustrated, etc. than family members or friends who don't have OCD?
Thanks!
Dave

[MusicMike]

For me, OCD intensifies the suffering associated with painful sensations by causing a fixation of the attention. Let's say I have a sore throat and a guy without OCD has a sore throat. We might have the same sensations in our throats, but in my case I will tend to fixate my attention on the worst spot and seemingly magnify the sensations. I can't get my attention off the pain either in space or in time. (That is, can't move my attention to a different less painful place and can't get distracted from it.) Fortunately this is less true now--I'm doing better with the help of therapy.

[davidshq]

Thanks! It sounds like what I experience as well!

[convalescence]

Hi, davidshq. I have OCD and physical chronic illnesses. Sometimes when my physical illnesses flare up my anxiety decides to flare up, too, usually making the problem worse. The loss of sleep doesn't help with the physical or mental pain.