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Non erp exposure
Anyone intentionally trigger your ocd because you're so tired of it when you're not practicing erp? Does this make sense?
Anyone intentionally trigger your ocd because you're so tired of it when you're not practicing erp? Does this make sense?
I have the exact opposite issue. Earlier i did erp when thoughts or real life exposures came my way naturally. But now that i plan to do it hierarchically, my anxiety and fears aren't that much, so i don't know what to do
@nooneknowswho @nooneknowswho I work best with a hierarchy, though if I feel I can and have the emotional capacity/time available I take on spontaneous opportunities that happen that are on a point on the hierarchy scale I feel may be doable.
My question was going to be similar - like nooneknowswho - my anxiety flairs up big when I’m out for a walk, trying to watch a movie, read a book….should I immediately pull out the homework and start doing it or sit there and push it up more, just start timing it? I get it, we want the anxiety to ramp up, but I’m unclear what I do when it happens on its own…time it, practice response prevention, talk crap to it? I am confused if we want the anxiety to come down or go up.
@Joey_867 I just meant sometiems I get so fed up and tired of doing the compulsions I just do something that would trigger me
@Joey_867 I think that, unfortunately, ERP should become a lifestyle. And we should do as little compulsions as possible. That said, going completely cold turkey and then also adding exposures on top of what you naturally run into would probably be too much. But whenever you run into a “natural” exposure I’d start practising as much ERP as possible. These are all chances to work towards recovery. At the start it feels like you’re constantly working on it, but later when you’ve recovered more and more you’ll only have to do it when it comes up which is much much less than now.
@hen7 This sounds like some very good information. Thank you
@Joey_867 @Joey_867 Some of my exposures involve a time limit that increases on a hierarchy scale. Random thought: stand inside store near exit for 10 seconds then leave, then try to habituate the anxiety that flared when the obsessive thoughts/compulsive urges surge after deed is done. Higher in the hierarchy longer times, etc. I don’t know if I’m saying it in a way that makes sense or if this is anyway helpful.
It depends for me. Sometimes ERP opportunities for different obsessions/compulsions come up that are not on the homework and I give it a go. Like an opportunity in the “natural learning environment” since I saw natural in hen7’s response post to another comment! Sometimes a spontaneous being tired of it connection but not as often as the spontaneous opportunities even when I do reach the top of the fed up with them/overwhelmed scale. On the other hand, personally I think I’m determining this week I’m not ready for 1 of the ERP homework assignments which i thought I would have been ready for.
How do you go about your life when ERP therapy is so stressful. I have harm ocd and by making me watch horror movies etc . is just making it worse. I'm really worried I'm being brainwashed into being what I dont want to be . Does this mean ERP is not for me? I also have no compulsions just pure O .
I was wondering if this is a thing. Like, say, especially if you are in the process of getting better. Doesn't doing ERP every day keep reminding you of your obsessions? Is there a point where you should do it less often? Or how does this work?
Happy Tuesday friends. Question for you all: I have recently started ERP therapy (about one month ago) and I feel in a way it has helped. But I also notice that I feel the thoughts I do have are SO intense that I feel like I’m gonna explode and then I’ll cry and get upset but then feel better after having a “freak out”. Does this happen to any of you guys? Also, I told my therapist yesterday some of the exposures we had been doing made me uncomfortable. Like really really uncomfortable. She made me feel a little bad about not doing it and stated this would prolong my progress if I didn’t do it. I’m not sure if I should push my self to do this exposure because she told me to or to stick up for myself and move at my own pace. Thanks everyone.
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