- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
That’s great!!:) Honestly for me, i do it every time I get triggered. I ‘prevent’ the usual ‘response’ that I have to the trigger. I guess I’m kinda missing the ‘exposure’ part but I’m exposed to so many things every day it kind of happens itself haha! Like I was watching the new season of black mirror earlier and the first episode had triggering content, but I just decided to stick with it and delay for as long as I could the anxious response that I would normally have- (it worked?). I also expose myself to things that I KNOW I want to avoid. So like things on social media, or people, etc that I want to stay away from so as to not get triggered, I put myself in the scenario, and then do NOTHING. Don’t check for anything, don’t fix, don’t test, don’t don’t don’t. Just be:) Sorry, that probably wasn’t much help, but that’s what I’ve been doing!!:)
- Date posted
- 6y
that helps a bunch! because for me it’s a bit hard to do ERP since i don’t really know what triggers my anxiety. most of the time it just pops into my head so i never know what to do ahaha. but know i know it’s not doing something but rather NOT doing anything...just letting it be. not sure how to just let it be without reacting but i guess i’ll figure it out soon enough!
- Date posted
- 6y
Oh good!:) Yes, it’s just the intrusive nature of the thought that triggers you. Whenever that happens, try your best to not ‘fix it’, neutralize it, check it again, question it, and of course- be scared of it. THESE acts alone are the ones that make the thought seem real to your brain. ‘Omg she got out the extinguisher?? There must have been a fire then!!!’ (When there was never a fire there to begin with?)
- Date posted
- 6y
I don’t have a consistent therapist. I’ve had one session with one though, I just couldn’t afford any more. When I really work hard on erp I can feel myself getting better. It’s hard, but not impossible to do it alone. You just have to be honest with yourself about what you can handle/ how much self-discipline you have! (hocd as well by the way!)
- Date posted
- 6y
what do you do for ERP? i’ve been doing some but i really want to challenge myself. i know it’s different for everyone but i was just wondering what you do and what has the greatest effect :)
- Date posted
- 6y
No you don't but it's completely normal to go.
- Date posted
- 6y
should i embrace them?? i feel like it would be easier to direct all my nerves toward just embracing it rather than letting them flow. i feel like i wouldn’t know what to do with myself if i just let them flow haha
- Date posted
- 6y
Thats a good way to diffuse the bomb that ocd has created! Thoughts inherently don’t mean anything, so letting them know that they have a home in our brain and that they are welcome, shuts off the alarms they create! Personally I find myself doing better when I just let them be there and say ‘hi! okay moving on now!’??
Related posts
- Date posted
- 25w
Hi everyone. I'm feeling kinda scared because I have to wait a whole month to start ERP therapy, but I feel like I need to start doing exposures now because the longer I wait, the more anxiety I get. It just feels like the OCD monster is getting worse. One thing that helps me is asking one person about an obsession I have...asking a person that I trust, and then doing an exposure after I get the "ok" to do it. I feel like I do need 1 reassurance and then I can go ahead and do it. I know i'm not supposed to ask for reassurance at all, but i dont think you're supposed to do ERP on your own right? Does anyone have any suggestions for what to do while waiting for therapy? PS-the reason there is a wait is bc she's on vacation. After she's back we will meet regularly.
- Date posted
- 24w
I feel like there’s no way out of this. everyday i’m anxious and depressed from these thoughts. i feel like i have to constantly question if it’s OCD or not. the panic attacks are insane and i freak out. and a compulsion i have is looking eveything up on the internet when im stressing to know that it’s just my OCD and im not in danger. but looking things up add on to my thoughts and i start thinking “what if” actual suidcal people think. do others with this theme whenever they do something like if im taking a picture it’ll be like “yeah you look happy people will wonder what happened when your gone” LIKE i DO NOT want to end my life. or even as simple as cleaning my room, “yup keep it clean so when your family goes through your stuff” then i panic and can’t even do anything. those thoughts distress me so bad. i’ll sit there and think how good my life is or when im having a good day my thoughts will be like “NOPEEE what if your just saying that to convince yourself” it never shuts up and genuinely makes me think i have SI or something. i hope this reaches the right people just to know im not alone. Even when i do get better in the back of my mind it’s always “people who want to are the same a day before too” im genuinely scared and im scared one day im going to just snap and do it because its “too much” do i need to go to a mental hospital! i feel insane.
- Date posted
- 11w
Hello! What a journey this ocd thing is! After 17 years with one therapist, I knew I was no longer making progress, so I changed to a new therapist. After just 6 months with her, she suggested I might have ocd and to look into getting diagnosed. She was right and I was diagnosed with ocd last summer. Meds are making a big difference but I still have lots of unlearning and re-learning to do. I’ve been struggling with whether or not to switch to a therapist who specializes in ocd. I have no issues with my current therapist, but she doesn’t specialize in ocd and I sometimes think I need someone who does specialize in it. But of course, I have Pure O, so I can think myself in circles til the cows come home. Can anyone share experience about switching to a therapist who specializes in ocd?
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