Why everyday sensations can be overwhelming with OCD

When you live with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anything can become a trigger for obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive, distressing thoughts. And compulsions are the actions or mental rituals you do to try to feel better or prevent something bad from happening. Even everyday sensations can become triggers. OCD sensory issues can show up in ways you might not expect, and they can make it harder to manage daily life. 

But OCD treatment is effective and can help you feel more grounded and capable of navigating intrusive sensations. The important thing is to resist the urge to respond to these sensations with compulsions, as this can keep you stuck in the OCD loop.

Common sensory issues in people with OCD

Sensory sensitivity is extremely common for people who live with OCD. Research shows that as many as 70% of people who have OCD say that sensory phenomena drive their compulsions.

We tend to think of sensory oversensitivity, or becoming overwhelmed with sensory input, when we think of sensory issues. For example, someone with autism or ADHD might become overwhelmed when lights are too bright or sounds are too loud. Research has found that sensory oversensitivity and OCD tend to go hand in hand. 

But there are other sensory issues that people with OCD can face. Some examples of common sensory issues that people with OCD can experience include:

• Being averse to certain textures (like the feeling of certain fabrics or sticky surfaces)
• Feeling overwhelmed or uncomfortable with certain sounds (like chewing, tapping, or clicking noises)
• Associating certain sensory input with bad luck or intrusive superstitions (like seeing a certain color and feeling like you need to do rituals to “cancel it out”)
• Needing to get a certain texture or sound to feel “just right”
• Feeling perceived sensory phenomena, like your hands feeling slimy even if they’re clean
• Feeling that something is “off” or “wrong” without being able to pinpoint exactly what

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How OCD can cause sensory overload

OCD doesn’t directly cause sensory overload, and sensory sensitivities aren’t a recognized symptom of this condition. But research shows that many people with OCD also have sensory processing issues, including both sensory oversensitivity and sensory avoidance.

Sensory stimuli can also become a source of obsessions. When you live with OCD, your mind can obsess over any topic or theme. These obsessions may drive you to perform compulsions as a way to try to reduce the anxiety that these obsessions bring.

For example, you might hear a loud noise and become anxious. When this happens, you may or may not get triggered into an OCD obsession. For example, you might hear the noise and worry that it’s an omen of a terrible event to come, or you might fixate on whether you heard the noise “wrong” and need to replay it mentally over and over.

Perceived sensations are an especially common source of distress for people with OCD. For example, you might become hyperfixated on your heartbeat or how often you swallow. You might become so obsessed with these physical sensations that you start to believe there’s something wrong (or could go wrong) — like that your heart isn’t beating strongly enough or that you might suddenly forget how to swallow.

This is called sensorimotor OCD, and it’s when your mind becomes fixated on bodily sensations or processes that most people take for granted. When you live with OCD, you may be more likely to obsess over a source of sensory input or bodily sensation, which could make it harder to process sensory information overall.

Sensory overstimulation is a common feature of autism. Autism isn’t directly related to OCD, but people with OCD are up to 13 times more likely to also have an autism diagnosis. So, if you live with both OCD symptoms (obsessions and compulsions) and sensory sensitivity, it’s also possible that you also have a co-occurring condition like autism.

Five sensory-friendly strategies for when you’re overstimulated

If your brain frequently fixates on sensory stimuli as an obsession trigger, there are ways to manage it — both in the moment and long term.

Relax your nervous system

First, understand how your body feels when it’s under stress, and learn effective strategies to relax. When you’re overstimulated, you might notice some signs, like a racing heartbeat or clammy hands. This is a sign that your nervous system has activated its stress response. 

But you only need a few minutes to counteract these effects and activate your body’s relaxation response. Techniques like progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, and grounding exercises — like the 5-4-3-2-1 method — can help activate your body’s relaxation response. Practice these skills when you’re calm so you’re better prepared to use them when stress hits.

Resist compulsions

When you feel sensitive to sensory stimuli or experience sensorimotor obsessions (like being hyperfixated on swallowing or blinking), you’ll probably experience the urge to perform a compulsion to make the unease go away. For example, you might feel the need to repeatedly blink just to remind yourself that you still can. 

But performing compulsions keeps you stuck in the OCD cycle. The only way to lessen the power that OCD has over you is to resist the urge to perform compulsions. So, even if sensory stimuli are becoming very distressing for you, simply notice the distress for as long as you can instead of responding with compulsions.

Use tools

Although sensory processing problems aren’t an official symptom of OCD, anyone can become overstimulated with sensory information (like bright lights or loud noises). There are many effective tools you can use to protect yourself from the stimuli if they’re becoming overwhelming for you. 

For example, you might use noise-canceling headphones in places that are too loud or wear tinted glasses to reduce the intensity of bright lights.

Distract yourself

When you feel distressed because of certain sensations, it can be easy to hyperfocus on them. Sometimes, it can be helpful to notice how the sensations feel without reacting to them. At other times, it might be more helpful to distract yourself. Try to continue your day and do whatever you’d be doing if it weren’t for these sensory obsessions. 

For example, maybe you’re on your way to work when you become distressed by the feeling of your heart beating. Instead of stopping everything to react to the sensation, simply keep driving and continue your day at work. But be careful, as avoidance and distraction can become a compulsion as well. Just keep in mind that distraction should be used as a temporary support, not as a way to suppress or escape the discomfort long term.

Get OCD treatment

Getting treatment for underlying OCD is the best way to deal with any of its symptoms and effects, including sensory sensitivities. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy is considered the gold standard for OCD treatment. ERP can help you learn to face the discomfort of sensory triggers without engaging with compulsions. 

In some cases, medication can also make it easier to manage sensory overload and other OCD symptoms. Please speak to your provider to determine if medication is right for your unique needs.

Find care with Rula

If it feels like sensory overload, obsessions, and/or compulsions are taking over your life, there is hope. Understanding how OCD sensory issues show up for you is the first step to finding better ways to manage them. Treatment can help you feel more in control of your life and empower you to manage your symptoms more effectively.

At Rula, we’re committed to delivering a comprehensive behavioral health experience that helps people feel seen and understood so they can get back to feeling their best.

Rula makes it easier to find a licensed therapist or psychiatric provider who accepts your insurance so you don’t have to choose between affordable care and excellent care. With a diverse network of more than 15,000 providers, 24/7 crisis support, and appointments available as soon as tomorrow, we’re here to help you make progress — wherever you are on your mental health journey.

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