- Date posted
- 2y
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 2y
I have this same problem. Maybe try starting very small so that you’re at least doing some of it instead of none of it
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 2y
I struggle with this all the time! Just tell yourself you are going to do an exposure for one minute. OCD is exposing you to distressing content basically every day anyway. Do it and then do something nice for yourself. I have a routine I do after where I smell a comforting scent and take deep breaths and sometimes I like to clean up my room a little bit. It makes me feel like I'm really taking care of myself. (By doing exposures you are taking care of yourself too!) Good luck. I'm about to do mine right now!!
- Date posted
- 2y
I feel like this new exposure is unsafe and I don’t want to do it! I have been triggered with making noise with glass and thinking that I have broken/chipped the glass. This latest glass exposure was to break glass and put into a tin box and shake and turn the box over. Glass shards fell all over my kitchen counter and increased my anxiety when it was suggested by my therapist to not wash my hands until I prepared dinner later that night.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 2y
So you were worried that there were glass shards on your hand and your therapist said not to wash your hands?
- Date posted
- 2y
@Anonymous Talk to your therapist about this. Sometimes an exposure is too much and needs to be dialed back and other times pushing the fears pretty hard really helps.
- Date posted
- 2y
Ok will do! Drinking wine and and watching the football games with my husband and kids. Thanks for your input
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 2y
I think @Erin P has a great point where the exposure just may have been too much. I'm sorry that I totally forgot about this thread! My therapist has not had me go beyond what a normal person would do yet but it makes sense from a therapy standpoint. I hope you were able to talk to your therapist about having a rough patch with compulsive behavior. Remember recovery from OCD has ups and downs and not to beat yourself up about it!!
- Date posted
- 2y
Thank you! I actually changed therapists. My therapist really helped me but this latest exposure was way tooooo much for me to handle.
- Date posted
- 2y
@Anonymous I hope you have a good experience with the new person.
- Date posted
- 2y
Me too! I’m doing so much better from where I started but still want/need to continue with therapy
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 2y
Did you touch any glass with your hands, or did you just sweep it up?
- Date posted
- 2y
There were glass shards on my hands and shards all over my kitchen counter where my kids eat! He suggested that I only wipe up the shards with a dry paper towel. I have learned so much from my therapist and have really become desensitized to the thought of broken glass but I feel that this is an extreme exposure. My therapist eventually would want me to shake this tin box with shards of glass over my head and shoulders and go on with my day with the uncertainty that I might have glass on me( the tin box is not airtight and spills glass shards when shaken).
- Date posted
- 2y
@Anonymous Therapists often have people go beyond what someone without OCD would do in order to really break the OCD fear. Not to trigger you or anyone else but an example would be to have someone with OCD re: fecal matter eat a cracker after putting it in a toilet seat or touching a plunger without hand washing. The glass exposure is a similar going beyond if that helps.
- Date posted
- 2y
Is there a “blueprint” for the various OCD subtypes or is the plan of care therapist dependent?
- Date posted
- 2y
@Anonymous My guess is there are a huge set of typical exposures for each subtype but therapists frequently come up with their own based on the specific case.
- Date posted
- 2y
I get that my therapist is doing a great job of challenging me with my OCD trigger of breaking glass but I feel that this latest exposure is too unsafe. In fact I landslided back with compulsive behavior after our session. I completely deep cleaned my kitchen, which he told me absolutely not to do!
- Date posted
- 2y
@Anonymous That’s called flooding when the exposure is too much which is why I suggested you talk to your therapist about this. Try to be kind to yourself about backsliding. It sounds like you are working really hard at this. Take a break tonight and do something you enjoy if you can,
Related posts
- Date posted
- 23w
Hi! I was given exposure HW that I chose to do by my therapist but lately I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by it and thinking that maybe I need to start with an easier exposure. However I can only see my therapist every other week due to her schedule and I’m really having a hard time feeling like I’m not following the “rules” of therapy. I feel like she’s not going to help me if I don’t do the exposures and that I’m gonna be all alone again and have no where to turn. So, part of me was gonna just force myself to do the exposure to avoid feeling bad. I don’t want to let OCD run the show also by not doing the exposure…but also feeling like doing the exposure is not quite right either. Please if anyone can relate I could really use some help.
- Date posted
- 16w
Everytime I do exposure therapy and even if it ends up good I get more nervous for the next time. How do I get past this I really need some help please. Now I am scared to even move the car after I drove on the main road 2 days ago.
- Date posted
- 15w
This is my first time posting - I have a fear of throw up and I’ve been told it is cause from my OCD (repetitive thoughts) which makes sense because if someone gets sick it replays over and over again and I can’t get it out of my head. It’s gotten a lot worse in the past maybe two years. I’m always on edge that someone is going to get sick around me. I’ve heard the “best or most common” way to help with this is exposure therapy and OBVIOUSLY I don’t want to do that. Anyone have any tips or anything for this (or maybe have done the exposure therapy)?
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