Hi my ocd is constant worrying I feel like I have to worry about something in my mind until It’s clear in my mind. For example if I have worry’s in my mind before I go on a plane If I don’t think the thoughts through so that it’s clear in my mind I feel that it will make the plane crash. Hope this makes sense what I’m asking is what erp can I do to stop this
Yes I totally understand, I have the same experience, I wonder the same question
@Jen524 Not just me then even tho it feels like my ocd is different, how do you cope ?
@Floki7 So I try to use this app and do erp, it is so hard during the erp process but after it feels a bit better, do you have coping skills?
@Jen524 I tend to say I have ocd do erp be fine for a few days then question if I have ocd and say I don’t and just say I have anxiety then a day later I will be suffering and start the circle again of saying I have ocd it’s the same cycle over and over again and not getting anywhere
The purpose of erp would be to bring up the worrying thought/topic and not engage in ‘thinking the thoughts through.’ This thinking is likely a compulsion, at least it has been for me. Engaging with the thoughts and ‘thinking them through’ is a somewhat conscious behavior that can be stopped. I’ve been going through the same thing with my ocd right now. ERP will help with reducing the urge to engage over time, but you still must continuously make the choice not to engage in the worrying thought. For me, every time I catch myself ruminating/worrying I either label it as thinking, or acknowledge the thoughts by saying ‘maybe/maybe not’ or ‘fuck off ocd’ and bring my attention to whatever I was doing at the time, regardless of how strong the urge to think it through or ‘figure it out’ feels at the time. Whatever it is, you don’t need to think it through. The more you do this, the weaker the urge becomes and the less frequently it occurs.
@Ocdeeznuts55 Thanks that is spot on , I just really struggle if the thought I need to think through is something really horrible like for example if I don’t worry it through my partner will die then i really struggle and i really struggle to the point of feeling sick, what I’m really worried about is not doing the compulsion then something bad actually happens how do you deal with that, it’s happend before I remember in 2002 I didn’t think something through and my cousin died that night even tho I know it’s irrational I feel like it was my fault
@Floki7 I’m sorry to hear that about your cousin, that must make it very difficult for you. I understand it makes it much worse when it’s harder to identify if your worrying thoughts are illogical or not. For me , I knew that nothing terribly was likely to happen even if it felt that way but that knowledge made it somewhat easier to disengage with the thinking. I think part of treatment is accepting the fact that something terrible could in fact happen. We accept that in our daily lives all the time, we or the ones we love could get in a car crash, could fall and hit their head, or any number of other bad things could happen but we don’t spend all of our time worrying about them. We accept it as a possibility and move on. Your ocd has likely latched on to one or two particular bad things that could happen and wants you to worry about those. But will worrying really help with decreasing the chances of it happening? That’s where saying ‘maybe/maybe not’ to my worries, and sitting with the discomfort that brings while trying to accept that uncertainty has been very helpful for me and could be for you too. We have to accept that there is a possibility that something bad could happen in order to recover.
@Floki7 If you’re not in therapy currently, or even if you are, I’d highly recommend reading ‘freedom from ocd’ by Jonathan Greyson. He does a very good job or describing how to accept uncertainty and how to frame these worries
Been struggling with existential OCD lately. Very hard to describe the thoughts/feelings, but it is a constant feeling of being stuck in my head. Like what is consciousness and where do I think from? Like I think it’s OCD, maybe it is maybe it isn’t. But if it is, what would be good ERP exercises? Just existing (lol)? And what would be my response prevention? I’m not even sure what mental compulsions I may be doing.
What would I do for ERP if my OCD says because I didn’t do something correctly or remember something I will have panic attacks that don’t end?
Hi - just for some context, I have OCD and ADHD. I hate bringing this up, but with these diagnoses, when intertwined, there is ALWAYS a thought. I never stop thinking. This is really hard, especially because I feel like I always need to be talking to someone. Whether it’s my friends or family, talking to people brings me down to earth from certain kinds of thought spirals. However, when I’m alone it is the hardest. When my friends don’t reply I have this compulsion to text again or I need to constantly check my notifications so that I have none left to check. But then to them or new people I talk to, this behavior probably comes across as overwhelming or too much. I’m trying to control it and use erp, but also, I have my moments where I’m just vunerable and give into the compulsion. It’s genuinely so embarassing and maybe not as big a deal as I’m making it out to be but, how do I manage? And how do I relax?
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