Anxious

Hi Matthew L. Often beginning ERP is one of the biggest steps, as many people are confronting their fears for the first time. Some people describe a slight increase in symptoms at the beginning of therapy because of this; however, this increase is usually short-lived, with a large portion of our members experiencing a 35% (or more) reduction in symptoms within the first several weeks of treatment.

I have done ERP in an outpatient program and it changed my life. You get to choose your exposures that you are ready to challenge. It is uncomfortable but the end result for me was always "Oh! that wasn't so bad and I am totally fine!" Once you learn how to do them you can do them on your own and at your own pace when you're not in therapy. I did many at home and I made quick progress. I understand the anticipatory anxiety but it was life changing for me. Good luck and happy healing!