Anon>:
- Date posted
- 2y
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?
nooneknowswhonooneknowswho
- Date posted
- 2y
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
AnonymousAnonymous
- Date posted
- 2y
@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.
Ranger_867Ranger_867
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 2y
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.
Anon>:Anon>:
- Date posted
- 2y
@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
hen7hen7
- Date posted
- 2y
@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.
Ranger_867Ranger_867
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 2y
@hen7 This sounds like some very good information. Thank you
AnonymousAnonymous
- Date posted
- 2y
@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.
AnonymousAnonymous
- Date posted
- 2y
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.
Related posts
iLounge21
- Date posted
- 15w
ERP for Existential OCD?
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.
Monkeybrain842
- Date posted
- 12w
How does one activl 'practice' exposure therapy ?
One problem - Various themes This is my first post. I had a relapse a few months ago. Life was amazing and then boom, I got triggered by something and started spiralling about my sexuality (having finally been at peace for two years, entered a healthy new relationship and come out of the closet as an older women). How do you, when you're not triggered practice ERP? I'm able to try and accept the thoughts every time I see a man. What should I be doing when I don't encounter these triggers. I was to say as well that I also am starting to get real event OCD about some of the sexual things I did in the past when I was married and in an unhealthy toxic relationship with my ex husband. I am shamed and disgusted and I'm working on it but there's a certain subsection of the LGBTQ community that trigger these thoughts, groinals and thing for me... I feel like I'm beginning to realise I need to maybe be a little more active in my recovery instead of waiting for triggers... But I don't know how
baukje
- Date posted
- 11w
Erp for insomnia ?
I have, alongside my other OCD themes, an intense fear of insomnia. Although this has been improving somewhat — partly thanks to medication and The sleep school on YouTube — I still find myself ruminating about it throughout the day when I have something important the next day, I get stuck in the fear that everything will be ruined — for both myself and others — because my mind is so preoccupied with sleep. + a fear of depression coming back. It honestly feels like a form of sleep OCD. I'm not sure if that’s an official thing, but that’s how it feels to me. A form of erp is the idea of befriending wakefulness. That works great tbh. Things like sleep hygiene, meditation, etc. — tend to backfire because my OCD latches onto them and becomes too obsessive about “doing them right.” I’m genuinely wondering whether ERP — for example in the form of a worst-case-scenario audio loop (imaginal exposure) — could be helpful in this case. I’m hesitant to start unless I know it can actually help. Is there anyone who has experience with this or thoughts about it? I’m not looking for reassurance or tips to fall asleep — only for ideas on how ERP might be applied in this situation.
Be a part of the largest OCD Community
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond