- Date posted
- 3y
- Date posted
- 3y
Hi Kandyse, I'm both sorry that this is so hard for you right now, and so proud of you that you're trying to do it anyway. If these things are causing you this much distress, I'd probably suggest you wait and talk to your NOCD therapist about it. OCD therapy is all about sitting with our distress, but you need to learn the skills to do that first. Your therapist will know how to guide you through the process of building that hierarchy (the triggers/obsessions list) and addressing the things that scare you around OCD therapy. A big part of ERP is starting small and working your way up, and it sounds like these tasks just aren't small enough for you to be a good place for you to start. That's okay! That's what your therapist is there to help with. That doesn't mean there's nothing you can do between now and seeing your therapist, though. What I'd encourage you to do is, if intrusive thoughts come up about any of these therapy-related things, to try and gently sit with the anxiety they bring up instead of trying to push them away. If you have compulsions around these thoughts that you know you do, try and resist them as long as you can, even if it's just for a minute or a few seconds. ERP stands for Exposure and Response Prevention, and normally that looks like creating exposures for us to practice response prevention--but it sounds to me right now like this already IS an exposure for you, so the way to go might be to just meet yourself where you're at. Your therapist can help you with the rest. Wishing you the best of luck. It's great that you're seeking therapy and you should be super proud of yourself for taking this step, as well as for seeking support in this way. You got this!
- Date posted
- 3y
I read something the other day that helped me. OCD is hard. ERP is hard. Choose your hard.
- Date posted
- 3y
You are a warrior. What huge steps you are taking! So proud of you!
- User type
- Staff
- Date posted
- 3y
I am so happy for you that you were brave and took this first step. I know it can seem very scary at first- that's normal. Having OCD is hard, doing ERP is hard-either way it's hard! ERP does have rewards- over time you learn how to handle the OCD. At NOCD a specialist trained in ERP will walk you through the steps of ERP- they will take it at the right pace and know when to push you and when not to. ERP can be life changing, it has helped me regain so much. Having the support of a therapist can be a huge help when doing ERP, they can help you to remain motivated, encourage you and support you as well as hold you accountable.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 23w
(21+ ONLY: TRIGGER WARNING) I have therapy today and I’m nervous. I just started going to therapy and I really like my therapist. She talked to me about doing ERP and I’m really nervous about it. I’m scared to tell her the extent of my OCD, and my themes. I’m scared to tell her about my false memory OCD, because I’m scared that what I did was real and I’m just excusing it as false memory, although I have no memory of it. I’m scared that I am truly a monster and I’m using OCD as an excuse—and that she’ll find out and distance herself. I’m just scared that my whole world is gonna fall apart, all around me.
- Date posted
- 21w
I’m on track to getting my diagnosis and i’m already questioning it. Pocd feels so real, and even though i once saw someone say “it has to feel real or you wouldn’t worry” which is like god level reassurance honestly, it hurts. I can’t look at children, they deserve better. My usual attraction seems to be gone and i can not think about anything else. At the same time i don’t really feel anxiety. I’m scared i don’t feel bad enough, if i just smiled maybe i honestly wouldn’t feel bad? I don’t have many other ocd symptoms either, except for some stuff when i was a kid and like questioning everything about myself. I’m clinging to the hope that this is Pocd instead of me being a Monster and at the same time i’m so sad that i have to go trough this. I don’t like myself but i’m sorry for my younger self. I just want to be held and be told that everything will be okay but how can i know? Even then i feel like comfort of that kind only really applies to others who are struggling and aren’t horrible like me. In so many ways i sm convinced i am a monster even though it might be a bit irrational. Maybe i’m a monster after all and then i should really get away from everyone i love. They deserve better :( After a lifetime of struggles (nothing super serious) i’m just getting started with therapy and i’m so.. scared. What if it won’t help? What if it turns out i’m the bad person i fear to be. Is there any way i can prepare or some tips or literally anything else? I would appreciate any wise words
- Date posted
- 20w
17f So I don't have an official diagnosis, but I know I have it, I struggle with it since I was 4, I went through like almost every theme like contamination, symmetry, checking, existential, health anxiety, false memory, moral ocd, sexual ocds, and also a therapist told me I have it (another one said I have generalized anxiety disorder but idk like I was talking about textbook ocd to her) I don't have a therapist now therapy is not working out well for me but I was hoping to maybe get medication For me the absolute hell is POCD and real event ocd. I genuinely don't know how do I start. I also think I will replace POCD with harm ocd cause well I'm to scared to talk about POCD. But what do I even say like do I come in and talk about more obvious ocd stuff I experience and then randomly jump to POCD, seems like a crazy jump idk... Also I thought it will be in the evening and I will have time to prepare but it's in and hour and a half I'm terrified Anyone? Help? How do I start what do I say I'm so scared
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