Tee10

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

Theme discussion

Out of curiosity, has anyone ever overcame a tough obsession/fear where you were able to move past it completely? I’m talking to the point of it not bothering you at all anymore or even forgetting about it all together? I once had magical thinking as a kid and overcame it completely to where it hasn’t crossed my mind in years and if it ever does, I just find it silly. Has this been the case for anyone here? Thanks! Xx

yourocdbestie

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

Was obsessed with getting rabies to the point where I wasn’t sleeping for weeks and ended up in urgent care. The most difficult theme I had ever dealt with, thought I would never be able to move past it, but it’s something I joke about now!! Constantly amazed by what ERP is able to do.

Anonymous

Date posted: 2y

Omg hey, I have this theme too. I'm working with my therapist and she is wonderful. I'd love to hear any extra advice though! Even the word is borderline panic inducing.

yourocdbestie

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

@Anonymous SO relatable. I used to type it as r*bies because i was worried typing it out fully was bad luck. So happy to hear you have a great therapist! Maybe, maybe not and most RPMs were helpful, but the most helpful thing by the end was making a little joke out of it every time I started thinking I had it again — “well, at least I’ll have the satisfaction of being right!” That might not work for everyone but found it was a good way to pull out of spirals sometimes haha.

yourocdbestie

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

@Anonymous Also might sound silly but some exposures that helped a lot included watching the rabies fun run episode of the office and the episode of seinfeld where elaine worries she has rabies. Additionally my therapist made me a word search with all my trigger words, sent me podcasts, showed me feral animal videos, articles about it, etc. Really all the things I wanted to avoid, classic ERP lol

signmanwithOCD

Date posted: 2y

Yes. ERP = Life changing

gracefull

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

@signmanwithOCD facts

blazed

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

Yes! I got through health concern, contamination, and harm OCD.

Nica

Date posted: 2y

Yes indeedy, many times.

Tee10

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

@Nica This current theme is worse than any other theme I’ve ever had! It seems too real. I’m so excited to get back into ERP soon. I’m tired of the unbearable fear on the day to day.

Nica

Date posted: 2y

@Tee10 You say that and then you’ll eventually work through it via ERP, and then another pops up. That’s the name of the game. But you can decide if it becomes a theme and obsession or not by your reaction to the intrusive feeling or intrusive thought.

gracefull

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

I could say this a few months ago around unlucky numbers but just recently I had an intrusive thought and looked at numbers for signs and wanted to count. 😢

Tee10

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

I also have this fear that nothing will work for me and I’ll just convince myself that even ERP won’t help. I hate that fear i think the most.

Bronsautracks

Date posted: 2y

Yeah my contamination OCD is almost nonexistent since I had kids during a pandemic. Accidental ERP. Sometimes I get a spike of reverse contamination or something where I’m afraid of getting them dirty if I’ve touched the dog or washed the dishes and they immediately need something. It’s like a skin crawly ‘how dare you’ kind of feeling but I always just ignore it and do what I have to do.

dan_star

Date posted: 2y

When my ocd first starting I had a fear of germs. I think that lasted about a year and then never bothered me again. Ever since then my theme has been all magical thinking.

Worry24

Date posted: 2y

Yes health anxiety. But it was soon replaced by real event/moral scrupulosity and I feel like I will never move past it now, it’s too tough. It feels like a life sentence.

Cody Fournier

User type: Therapist

Date posted: 23w

OCD switches themes

I was just thinking about how OCD tries to be tricky and switches themes on us!! The amount of times I have said to myself in the past, IF ONLY I HAD THE OLDER THEME I USE TO WORRY ABOUT BECAUSE THIS NEW ONE IS SO MUCH WORSE!!! Has anyone ever experienced this before? Once I started ERP therapy, I began to really start understanding what mental/physical compulsions I was doing to really keep my OCD alive! While I did this, I would also tap into my self-compassion bucket, even when it felt like it was dry at times, because it was SO easy to judge myself for because of the sheer presence of my thoughts. I would also have the most self-compassion for myself for those taboo intrusive thoughts that really felt so strong, ego-dystonic and real!!! My OCD would hop around from theme to theme and just when I thought I figured it out (compulsion) it would hop again and make me discouraged! I noticed for me that once I really understood my compulsions, it didn't matter when the theme switched as I could tackle it at its core. If I was able to stay steadfast and resist compulsions the best I could, I started to notice that my CONFIDENCE increased in the long run! I also noticed that some of the core fears were the same for different OCD subtypes. OCD treatment is hard BUT living with OCD is harder. I have experienced subtypes including Harm OCD, ROCD, Moral Scrupulosity, Sensorimotor, Contamination, Perfectionism/Just Right, Hit and Run, Magical Thinking, Real Event/False Memory. ERP therapy allowed me to really work on stopping these compulsions and switching from theme to theme. I was fed up with what OCD took from me and I needed to do something about it. I talked to an ERP therapist and it was one of the best decisions of my life. If you are struggling, keep pushing and get the help you deserve!! You got this!!!

Dreamydream

Date posted: 22w

Journey to recovery…

To the people who are in therapy and on their recovery journey when the ocd is tending to die down a bit is it normal for the ocd to keep switching themes until it fully dissipates? Has anyone experienced this?

Harm OCD

GG5

Date posted: 18w

Harm ocd

Hi guys. Hope everyone is okay I just wanted to ask for some ppl to share how they overcame harm ocd completely so that I can get an idea of how to work towards healing. Thank you :)

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