I’m just interested to know what approach to ERP people think is the most effective. I know that NOCD and many other therapists like to use hierarchy and a lot of on purpose exposures, but I’ve found disregarding OCD thoughts I naturally have and not responding to them to also be very effective, and I think it makes a lot more sense than the methods therapists use. Does anyone else share that opinion?

My obsessions do paralyze me, often to the point that I can’t function. it’s just that they are so unconnected to real life that it would be impossible to think up an exposure for them. There are tons or real life triggers, but it’s impossible to guess beforehand what they might be.

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I’m not too sure why intentional exposures are always what’s recommended first, since responding correctly to natural exposures from living your life and disregarding the thoughts you already have can be just as effective, or even more so, and although it’s difficult, I think people would be much more willing to do that that purposeful exposures, especially at the beginning. Maybe someone else will respond and explain why they think purposeful exposures are helpful for them, since I’m really curious to know.

@anonymous caterpillar 🐛 i think the idea behind it is that intentional exposure works differently. like, if i am doing this thing with the goal of doing this thing, i know it is coming and what to expect. for me, that's exactly the issue--i DONT know whats coming on a daily basis, so preparing for it with intentional ERP is like taking an exam you already know the questions for. unintentional exposure, then, is taking an exam for which you dont even have a study guide.

@anonymous caterpillar 🐛 that said, let me also be clear that i am not dogging ERP. i know its the "gold standard" for OCD treatment, and am currently undergoing it.

@teeth Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I’ve actually never thought of that before, but that’s a really good point!

@teeth It’s good that you’re not dodging ERP. I’m not either, I’m just taking a different approach. I try to disregard the thoughts I naturally get, and I make sure to not avoid the things I might be scared of that I would normally do, which could be considered a purposeful exposure, but it’s just a of more natural one, and not really a structured ERP exercise.

If your OCD is telling you you can’t have a conversation with someone or do anything until you get over this thing, you need to stop following OCD’s commands and do those things anyway. You’re not truly disregarding it until you go on with your normal day.

Yes, for me any planned exposure would not work because all the triggers have to be found in actual real life for them to scare me. I pick up things from pretty mich anywhere and make up some extremely scary story about it. The randomness of it is why it’s so scary, and since the things can be from anywhere, I would have no idea what kind of exposure to do. It seems like living my life in itself is an exposure.