I have ocd based on health related things. So whenever my brain gets an idea about something to be afraid of, I should try to expose myself to the idea of having that through exposures until I get desensitized to it? Keep doing this throughout life, how do you not get depressed by this?
The desensitizing is the only effective method I have found. Talk therapy doesn't help at all, can help with trauma etc. but not OCD. I was diagnosed by a clinical psychologist (PhD) who specializes in OCD as "Severe OCD". My intrusive thought would be an hourly obsession for an entire year. Desensitization CBT/ERP helped tremendously to live normally again. Not completely gone but in Remission. You have to train the body that the brain's thoughts aren't actually a threat and then they'll decrease.
@marcmal Ah okay, got it. So then your brain will be less likely to see the next thought of that nature as as big of a threat, over time
@HyperAwarenessQueen There’s no such thing as losing all your feelings unless you die. Here’s an article about ERP: https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/ocd-treatment/erp/
@HyperAwarenessQueen No, it just makes you get so bored by the stimulus that you don’t even care anymore. It’s like going from having a panic attack from being in the same room as a spider to being okay with a tarantula crawling on you
@Ad485 Edit: it’s not that extreme though. If every exposure was with that type of goal in mind I’d lose it
exposure therapy is much easier with the guidance of a professional. this isn’t always an option, but the good thing is that there are plenty of professionals and specialists who share their wisdom for us to see. I recommend Nathan Peterson, he makes great videos. this one in particular talks about writing exposure scripts: https://youtu.be/LR7QJ9zW1Bg additionally, here’s a helpful video of his that explains some ways to make ERP more effective: https://youtu.be/nzSCy_CuMsI i hope this helps!
@ocd_junkie So just because I have ocd I have to see a therapist for every single week of my life? I’ve been seeing therapists for 13 years, since I was 14
so I need to get back into ERP, but it’s so hard to manage these thoughts and learn to deal with them. like I swear my mind has to make everything about it. Like every time I clean my room, my mind’s like yup make sure it’s clean so when your parents find you, or something so stupid like if I get a headache, my mind convinces me that I like the pain and that that’s why I get my thoughts because I actually want to do it. It’s so exhausting. Because I know I would never want to take my life and I treasure my life so why does it do it to me? It’s hard to comprehend the fact of these thoughts too because I don’t know many people with this exact theme. It’s such a scary feeling. And I’m constantly questioning whether I have actual depression or if it’s just my OCD. Yes I have been diagnosed with suicidal OCD, but my mind still tries to convince me otherwise. I just don’t know how to let these just sit and pass without panicking.
How do any of you guys deal with OCD that’s latched on to something real? I don’t mean real event OCD but a real thing?
I had to cancel my therapy because it was no longer available with my insurance. And I just kind of feel hopeless with OCD. Even when I was doing therapy, I think my OCD started getting too complicated for my therapist and she didn’t even know what to do. My fears are so complex it’s crazy. So my big fear is my OCD being bad and being super depressed again like I was a few months ago in high school. I attended a public highschool for a semester and started the worst flare up I’ve ever had. I was harshly bullied for no reason whatsoever, and not accepted by anyone. I am an athletic kid who usually keeps to himself so I didn’t understand why people targeted me, especially when I wanted nothing to do with them. From August to now ( March) I CANNOT grasp hold of my OCD. I am very hard on myself about it. Going into dangers anytime I see one so I can expose myself. But constantly obsessing about if I’m doing enough for my OCD. And comparing myself to how I use to be, before the flare ups. From the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep I’m obsessing about my OCD and if it’s bad and comparing. Another HUGE fear of mine is being treated differently because I have OCD. So being bullied for so long I always assumed it was because I was shy and didn’t want to stand up for myself - due to my OCD- so I blamed myself for everything that continued to happen, . from people bullying me in the past . The people at that highschool were downright crazy. Even the teachers and coaches had major issues and I’m so glad to be out of there, but I still obsess the same everyday and hold so much resentment for that school and when I try to let it go, I just feel more passive pain and obsess even more about it weather my ocd is okay or not. I feel mentally sick. Please someone give me some advice for my fears, because I feel like I’m doing everything in my power to expose myself to everything but nothings working.
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