teeth
- Date posted
- 3y
Jenna OverbaughJenna Overbaugh
- User type
- Staff
- Date posted
- 3y
Hey! Congrats on being in exposure therapy - for some people, this is the case. It is something that we call an extinction burst. This is what happens when we stop reinforcing something that we've typically reinforced for a long time. Essentially this is your OCD brain having a very childlike temper tantrum after the parent told the child no for something it was used to getting. You temporarily see an increase in the unwanted behavior. Plus, you are exposing yourself to things you likely weren't before- you're reducing avoidance, you're reducing and resisting compulsions - these are all things that can contribute to you feeling worse before it gets better. However, it should at some point get better. This will be dependent mostly on your ritual prevention. Are you resisting rituals? Are you reducing avoidance? Are you gradually facing your fears with willingness and trying to tolerate the uncertainty? If any of those factors are missing especially the response prevention piece then it makes sense that you might be feeling worse right now. Response prevention (resisting rituals) is key.
NicaNica
- Date posted
- 3y
If you’re ruminating, seeking reassurance, and/or doing compulsions, then that’ll only make things worse. Including ERP.
anonymous caterpillar 🐛 anonymous ca...
- Date posted
- 3y
Have you been doing ERP with the response prevention part? If you haven’t been doing response prevention with the exposures, that might be why it’s not working. Exposures are pointless if you do compulsions afterwords. In my opinion, the response prevention aspect is even more important than the exposure aspect.
teethteeth
- Date posted
- 3y
no ruminating, no compulsing afterward. im just... getting worse.
anonymous caterpillar 🐛 anonymous ca...
- Date posted
- 3y
Oh that’s so interesting that you’re getting worse then. Do you think its’s possible you may be ruminating about the recovery process? That’s something that can make OCD worse but some people don’t realize they are doing it. Also, are you maybe only doing exposures for some of your thoughts/themes and leaving others alone? You need to make sure that you get to all parts of your OCD. And is it that this specific theme is getting worse, or is it that new ones are taking over after one becomes fine? If it’s that new ones are taking over, I think that’s pretty normal, and you’re on the right track and just need to keep going. Are you willing to share any more about what types of exposures you’ve been doing? A vague idea would be enough.
teethteeth
- Date posted
- 3y
@anonymous caterpillar 🐛 my ocd is trauma-driven, and my single biggest issue/trigger is the floor. this has spread to the walls, to my things when they fall, to my cat, even my own feets. my recent exposures have included targeting this--standing outside in rain while water splashes up from ground, sitting in public spaces like busses/ubers/benches where i know feet have very likely been, etc. theyve been 7-9s on my ladder. i dont have many 5-6s. theyre all fucking awful at this point.
teethteeth
- Date posted
- 3y
@anonymous caterpillar 🐛 i think the trauma/ptsd driver is a big part of the problem, because until its treated, im afraid i wont make any real progress. additionally, some of the ERP exercises have featured NO suds decrease whatsoever.
anonymous caterpillar 🐛 anonymous ca...
- Date posted
- 3y
@teeth Yeah, I don’t know why your distress isn’t going down, but good job for making the effort to confront your fears, and I’m sorry nothing much has come of it so far. I don’t have any experience with trauma, so if that’s what might be causing the distress to not to down, I wouldn’t know what to do. Hopefully someone else will be able to help you with that.
Secret, collectively (she/her)Secret, coll...
- Date posted
- 3y
Could you elaborate? In any case, ERP doesn't work for 100% of OCD cases afaik + (TW for doubting diagnosis) there's the possibility of having something else entirely
Related posts
tayanominous
- Date posted
- 19w
Can therapist make you feel worse?
So I’ve been going to an ocd therapist for abt 2-3 months now and she’s starting to make me feel very nervous and anxious I even started crying, she wanted me to do exposures that were to much for me and I got rlly upset and Burt out into tears and she just didn’t say anything and just sat there for a good 10 seconds doing nothing this is starting to repeat nearly every session and I’m very frustrated should I get a new therapist or do I just be nice and tough it out?
Looping
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 18w
ERP/Therapy
I find while doing exposures, rarely does my anxiety lessen. It usually amps up and stays that way for the remainder of the day. I could be having a fairly decent day, but dutifully do my exposures and then the rest of my day is anxiety filled. I guess that’s just how it is now? Also, I’m wondering if my therapist even believes I have OCD. I totally understand my therapist cannot provide reassurance. But it’s to the point it seems my therapist acts like I actually did the thing I fear. I feel so isolated.
Anonymous
- Date posted
- 9w
Compulsions during exposure sessions
When I catch myself doing compulsions mentally during exposure sessions, it seems alot of the time like the realization that I was just doing a compulsion is more distressing than the actual trigger I'm trying to expose myself to. It feels defeating having to admit the prompt at the end that I performed a compulsion yet again. I still think I've made progress overall, and generally speaking I don't think I'm performing compulsions as much as I used to, and my distress has also gone down noticeably (not completely) but exposure sessions have been kinda tricky for me from the beginning since its all mental. Additionally, I am a bit concerned that I could start using exposures to rid myself of anxiety rather than expose myself to it properly.
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