Hello! I was wondering is it normal to feel anxious and nauseous for long periods of time when first starting erp? And will it go away after sometime? Also feel free to share any successful stories from erp it would be very encouraging:)
Hey I can relate a lot. Unfortunately ERP involves a lot of anxiety. I was worried at first that it wouldn't work, because I couldn't imagine not doing my compulsions. However, after working for a while in ERP therapy, I found that my anxiety either went down or I learned that I could handle the anxiety and still go on with my life despite it. OCD tells us that anxiety is a sign of something dangerous and part of ERP is learning that anxiety itself isn't dangerous and we can be anxious and still live fulfilling lives. I was surprised by how many compulsions I was able to resist after doing ERP that I never thought I could! It was definitely a process, but for me it was so worth it and I am now able to do things I never thought I could before.
