also worth noting that a lot of people talk themselves out of OCD treatment because the risks you fear can be on some levels 'real.'
it's very normal for people with OCD and chronic illnesses to develop Health and Somatic OCD. if you are someone who has seizures, it is a very real part of your life that you need to be aware of early warning signs that a seizure is coming on. you also need to consider whether you'll be safe and have access to resources wherever you go. i.e. if you have a seizure at the mall, what is your plan? who can/will help?
someone with OCD who has seizures might find themselves endlessly 'checking' their body for signs of an oncoming seizure as a compulsion. checking is emphasized there, because it's a common type of OCD compulsion. the OCD checking goes far beyond reasonable or helpful self-awareness. OCD anxiety is so powerful, the person might even begin to imagine and feel physical warning signs of a seizure that are not 'real,' in that they are not actually about to experience a seizure.
the person might also obsess over every way having a seizure in public might go 'wrong.' yes, there is a well-respected hospital nearby, but what if the ambulance gets caught in traffic? yes, they have a seizure-alert dog, but what if in the very moment the dog should detect and alert, a passerby distracts the dog. what if, although their friends are usually understanding, this is the seizure event that happens at the worst possible time, like during a movie climax, and everyone finally gets fed up and never wants to hang out anymore?
the compulsion then is avoidance. it's not unusual for people with OCD and chronic illnesses to stop leaving the house entirely.
the issue: all of these things not only could genuinely happen to someone who has seizures, but they might be things that have happened to the person with seizures and OCD, thus heightening the reality of the intrusive thoughts.
then it's common to believe that an OCD therapist prescribing exposure therapy simply doesn't understand your other disabilities, how real they are and how in danger you actually are. if they understood, they wouldn't prescribe you an exposure that could put you at risk...
it's no coincidence that OCD latches onto fears based in some realities of our lives. i don't have religious OCD because i'm not religious. why would i be afraid of offending a god or religious authority whose opinion means nothing to me?
whereas the fear of having a fatal asthma attack while i'm out hiking is reasonable. it happens to other people. it might one day happen to me. my OCD can look like taking deep breaths to 'check' for a wheeze. it doesn't matter that i did that 3 minutes ago. i need to do it again! and again. maybe i'll ask my other friend with asthma if it sounds like i'm wheezing. in ten minutes, maybe i'll ask her again. maybe i'll actually begin to feel like i am wheezing. that my chest is tight. that i can't take a deep breath.
this is just one reason why Reassurance as an OCD compulsion does not work. not only does the person with OCD need to be reassured continually, forever, because the relief of reassurance wears off. But not all OCD fears can be reassured. No one can tell me "you will not have an asthma attack when you're out " or "if you have one, everything will go perfectly and you'll be okay."
that's simply impossible to know.
that's why OCD is treated by being exposed to and accepting the anxiety. you don't overcome OCD by learning to believe nothing bad can happen. it's about knowing that something terrible might happen, and living in relative peace despite that, free of rituals & compulsions. being able to stop and check your body appropriately when necessary and make plans respecting your real needs, without losing your life to compulsions and fear.
