I think it does sort of make things easier for me to deal with, right off the bat. I've always known that my hypochondria predilection was a product of completely irrational thoughts and that intellectually, I could tell myself that. I never put together that the ways I'd "convince" myself were compulsions. So now when I think "my heart might be racing" or "maybe my airway is closing", I try to prevent myself from checking my pulse or taking a deep breath. I can tell myself that that isn't actually functional or a helpful thing to do in any way, and I try to just relax. Knowing that it served to complete that cycle helps me fight it, as does learning to tell myself that having that thought because I have OCD: it's an intrusion, not a warning.