- Date posted
- 2y ago
ERP
This question is for those who have already started ERP: Do your obsessive themes seem realer to you for a little while after doing ERP?
This question is for those who have already started ERP: Do your obsessive themes seem realer to you for a little while after doing ERP?
I mustered up some courage to begin ERP, and now my whole body is in a state of anxiety hours after I started. I cannot even sleep nowš
Make sure you take little steps and don't flood yourself too quickly
I think as you are facing your fears with erp in a very straightforward (and brave!) way, the anxiety that accompanies this may feel be heightened so thoughts could feel real/extra scary. But I guess that's the erp doing it's job - exposing us and showing us that it's just a thought. I remember when I started Erp my thoughts would go wild, and as soon as I let them be there they'd jump on to new ideas and anxieties. It was scary but you start to see how the pattern of ocd works, and being able recognise them for what they are. Small steps but your brain learns! Weeks ago there were sentences I couldn't even say, now I can shout them if I wanted to. Keep it up if you can, sit with the anxiety and good luck š„°
This is common. Often people are confronting their fears for the first time ever. This can make them more salient, and appear more intrusive, intense, and/or "real." This tends to go away after a short period of time, however.
yes for certain ones. like for my problems with spiders the anxiety went up a lot and lasted because i had to actually look at pictures/touch the pictures which i always avoid/never do bc i know how scared i will be. but with my erp for counting it was more of an in the moment anxiety because i wasnāt being shown something that shocked/scared me, i was only trying not to count, which still stressed me out but once i was done it didnāt make anything different for me
Hi guys! Iām new to the community and Iāve recently received my OCD diagnosis (tho Iāve known about it since childhood). Iāve been somewhat spiraling lately as I wait for my first ERP session (hooray!) I was just wondering if any of you guys have received ERP for existential OCD and if it was successful? My existential OCD compulsions are more so mental and have been affecting me in the sense of dream/memory flashbacks and giving me a sort of āuncannyā feeling about everything around me. Any advice is appreciated! Thank youā¤ļø
So you got to ask me anything⦠Now Iād like to ask you something! Iāve heard from Members that they were so scared coming to their first ERP session. They were terrified that I would think they were crazy, that I would tell them their worst fears were true. That I would confirm they are some form of a terrible person or have them hauled off to prison for their thoughts. Iāve also had Members share how theyāre very scared to begin ERP treatment because theyāve researched enough to know it means facing the fear, without the compulsions that have kept them feeling safe (but not really safe) this entire time. They struggled to see how they could be capable of doing this, while simultaneously acknowledging that they did not want to live like this anymore. If you have had your first session, what were your thoughts before? Did you have any hesitations or fears going into it? How did it turn out? If you havenāt yet begun to work with an ERP specialist, what is holding you back?
Iām starting NOCD. I had several years of cbt as a child (well over 20 years ago) and I see a trauma therapist. But now Iāll be seeking further help for OCD and just really scared. CBT wasnāt helpful for me. How has ERP been helpful for you? Do you feel like youāll finally get your life back? Iām consumed by my obsessions š¢ Would love others feedback if ERP helped you ā¤ļø
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