Scared about starting erp. Afraid I'll become a different person or that I'll become what I've been fearing and obessessing over. Will the therapy depress me and lead me to something like suicide. Not that I am suicidal but I am afraid I would get so sad or disheartened that I become that.
You will work with your therapist to create your hierarchy for exposures, I understand it can be overwhelming the first time you experience Erp and to my knowledge Erp has not turned anyone into anything awful including myself, I was the same way. The exposures are important but the thing you will learn to do that I feel is the essential part of treatment is the response prevention, so you can move forward in life without those pesky compulsions, even if you're triggered in the future you will have the skill set to handle the situation, hope this helps good luck and remember in the beginning it feels worse than it is
Are you working with a therapist who has worked with other clients on ERP before? The point of ERP is to gradually face your fears and not to overwhelm you right off the bat. Usually in ERP you would identify easier, less stressful exposures and keep building up to more anxiety provoking exposures. I would definitely talk to your therapist about your concerns!
I brought it up to my therapist about my concerns.
ERP is hard work but is the one of the only true ways to help combat OCD. It is not meant to hurt you and make you more depressed but instead teach you about what is really happening and show you OCD’s lies. NOCD changed my life, and I think you will really learn from ERP. ERP taught me more about myself in 1 year then 20 years of schooling ever did!
Sounds like good ol OCD coming in to save you from ERP and a life Free of OCD! Anticipation about starting ERP is normal. We don't know what to expect right? All the "what ifs" All the "uncertainty". Do you think it's worth taking the chance at doing ERP if it means freedom from fear and OCD and all of its emotions and compulsions so that you can truly live your life!? It's a choice, to be scared from OCD and continue to do the same, live the same, stay the same...Scared and trapped by OCD and its compulsions OR to break free from it and be scared while doing something that is going to improve the rest of your life! Try some ERP around the idea of starting ERP lol seriously it works! Had to do it myself. Maybe ERP will make me worse, maybe it will cause me to be depressed and then if I am so depressed, I may want to die! I accept that uncertainty and choose to do ERP anyways because I want to get better from my OCD. Good luck to you! and you CAN do this!
This is so common an experience. I would be surprised if you said you are not scared. ERP will likely make you a different person - but not in the way OCD wants you to believe. ERP will give you the tools and skills to deal with the ocd in ways that are far more successful than compulsions. Ocd wants to keep you trapped in its grip. A few tips: 1. Trust your therapist. They have heard so many stories and you will not shock them or upset them. They are there to provide support and my experience is that they go above and beyond 2. Erp will not start in first session, but when it does start, make sure you do the homework. ERP is the gold star treatment for OCD. 3. Know that we are all here for you in this community. We have all been where you are and we can empathize. Support is important so please know that we are here to help support you. We won’t help you compulse, but will help you through this. And congratulations 🎉. You have taken one of the biggest steps toward recovery. You are starting therapy. So I would encourage you to do something nice for yourself. A nice treat for taking a big step. You deserve it.
I'm so sorry you are struggling with that! It is a super common fear. If you have an ERP therapist, it might be helpful to bring up your concerns in a session. Remember that good ERP requires your consent, so you can take it slowly and nothing will be forced. Also, most therapists talk a bit about the process in the first session so you can ask questions before jumping into exposures. I have found it really helpful overall to be as open as possible with my therapist about how I'm feeling, even when it feels hard to do so. ERP therapists have heard it all (including fears like yours) and will be able to help talk you through it so you can start ERP! Congrats on taking this step.
Well, ERP is not working out for me. In fact it has only served to make me more depressed because the idea of accepting I might be a "bad person" or pervert (or whatever) just makes me feel, well, bad! I'm not sure how this could help anyone honestly. Has anyone else experienced this and had luck with other treatments?
I’m not sure if anyone has had this fear, but i’m worried that if i actually get better with erp and face my harm ocd that one day the thought of hurting others won’t scare me anymore. Has anyone else had this fear?
I am about to start my ERP journey and I am so afraid. I have HOCD and I feel of I do the exposures I will end up liking them and and it will turn me into something I know I’m not.
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