- Date posted
- 3y
Can you have any idea.
How could i do erp if i have lot of new intrusive thoughts daily..
How could i do erp if i have lot of new intrusive thoughts daily..
ERP is the same for every ocd thought! Whatever it is you’re having OCD about the best coping skill my therapist shared with me was inviting and welcoming uncertainty. If you’re worried you have cancer, say maybe I have cancer maybe I don’t. If you’re worried you might be going to hell, say maybe I am maybe I’m not. If you’re worried you’re actually an ax murderer and a psychopath because you watch murder documentaries and what does that mean about you that you watch murder documentaries does that mean you’re actually a horrible person, say maybe I am maybe I’m not. Lol. Ocd can be funnny honestly, like typing those out sound ludicrous but in the moment it all feels so urgently dangerously real. Also saying I don’t have to figure this out right now, helps a lot. I have almost all the themes and my ocd is random but I’ve found the coping skill treats every worry. Don’t forget to enjoy your life! When you say I don’t have to figure this out right now, it’s not surpressing the thought and pushing it away, which can be a compulsion, it’s just saying okay maybe that’s true maybe I do have rabies because that cat bit me, but I’m going to go swimming with my friends (or whatever it is in your life you have to do that’s definitely better than getting caught in a thought loop) and worry about that later. Hopefully these things help you!:)
Thank you very much..😃
Oh also when you say I don’t have to figure this out right now, if you keep saying it, it trains your brain to not think the thought is a danger. If you try to figure it out right then and there with urgency you TRAIN your brain to give you the intrusive thought more because your brain believes this is an ✨URGENT THREAT✨. Giving it the inattention lets your brain believe it’s not so pressing and I’ve found I eventually have the thought less and less and I never get to the point where “okay it’s time to figure it out now”. :)
ERP is all about exposing yourself to the possibility of the threat being real and just ✨not caring✨
Hi there John0. The skills taught via ERP can be applied to all types of OCD. Once you learn how to do it appropriately, you can use it to challenge your OCD thoughts, even if there is a new intrusive thought every day.
Research Buddhist meditation. Do that and then ERP. ERP becomes much easier if your mind is already balanced and calm.
Thanks @Roberts
Been struggling with existential OCD lately. Very hard to describe the thoughts/feelings, but it is a constant feeling of being stuck in my head. Like what is consciousness and where do I think from? Like I think it’s OCD, maybe it is maybe it isn’t. But if it is, what would be good ERP exercises? Just existing (lol)? And what would be my response prevention? I’m not even sure what mental compulsions I may be doing.
What would I do for ERP if my OCD says because I didn’t do something correctly or remember something I will have panic attacks that don’t end?
Hi - just for some context, I have OCD and ADHD. I hate bringing this up, but with these diagnoses, when intertwined, there is ALWAYS a thought. I never stop thinking. This is really hard, especially because I feel like I always need to be talking to someone. Whether it’s my friends or family, talking to people brings me down to earth from certain kinds of thought spirals. However, when I’m alone it is the hardest. When my friends don’t reply I have this compulsion to text again or I need to constantly check my notifications so that I have none left to check. But then to them or new people I talk to, this behavior probably comes across as overwhelming or too much. I’m trying to control it and use erp, but also, I have my moments where I’m just vunerable and give into the compulsion. It’s genuinely so embarassing and maybe not as big a deal as I’m making it out to be but, how do I manage? And how do I relax?
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