Does anyone else really struggle to do their erps? When I do it with in the therapy session I can do it but when I’m doing it in my own I just can’t bring myself to do it The thought of doing it makes me feel sick Does anyone else get this?
Its super hard i get this
Yes it can be so hard to find the courage to do it. At first I didn’t even want to attempt it bc I feared that it’d come true. Now whenever I feel like avoiding it, that’s exactly when I do it bc I know I’ll be giving OCD more power over me if I don’t. It definitely sucks in the moment but when you get past it, you’ll feel more confident in yourself to try ERP again.
@blazed Yeah that’s such a good way to look at it. In my session yesterday I found it really hard not to ask for reassurance. My therapist kept saying things like oh we should create a coming out story script for you because that hasn’t happened yet and kept saying the word yet and I was like yeah but I feel straight so I don’t want that to happen. And kept saying Yeha u might find out your gay and that was really triggering. I know that she’s suppose to say that but I really wanted to ask like omg but u don’t think I’m gay do you and had to stop myself from asking
@Anonymous I had the same experience in therapy , where I was literally asking my therapist if she actually thought I was gay bc she was giving zero reassurance.
@Anonymous That's great that you held off on asking! My therapist is the same too, she doesn't give reassurance and always uses the maybe, maybe not response. It's very triggering initially bc OCD hates uncertainty, but it becomes less bothersome after a while. I wrote a coming out script too and I was literally in tears when I was writing it out 💀 but I read it over repeatedly for a week or two and it doesn't affect me as much anymore! It's a tough process but take your time and let your therapist know if it's too difficult to do rn. Keep working smaller exposures and including the ones you habituated to already. You got this, keep going!
@blazed Hi! I’ve seen a lot of your posts and you seem so helpful! I’ve only had one session but I’m already worried about the future. I can only afford it for 2 months so I won’t be able to carry on after that. And whilst I feel positive that I can make a big amount of progress in this time I am worried about after the 2 months…
@Anonymous I completely understand! You can contact the billing department and discuss some possible payment plans. I’d also suggest that if you’re doing it weekly, you should do that for the first month and then schedule biweekly appointments after that so it goes over the span of 2 months. I know it can be scary not knowing what could happen afterwards, but by then you will definitely build up a lot of confidence to do ERP on your own. Everything you do with your therapist is also what you’ll be doing outside of your sessions as homework; so you’ll have a good idea of how to navigate through it. Your therapist will also come up with a plan for you so you won’t be left in the dark going forward. Talk to him/her about your concerns and they’ll make sure to work something out!
@blazed Thank you so much
How do people start practicing erp on their own? Because I tried yesterday, and it helped for like two hours, but it always comes back and scares me. I don’t think i can practice it the right way without help.
I’m thinking about doing erp but my ocd is so severe the thought of accepting my fears happening to me makes me sick to my stomach. I also believe in the power of my words and saying I accept this Bad thing will attract it into my life. I’m not sure what I should do🥲
I read about ERP and have seen information about it on here. One of the goals is to say, "maybe I am this or that...ect." That terrified me. The thoughts and images that go in my head are disturbing and upsetting. I don't want to even think about saying, "maybe this or that." It's devasting to have these thoughts and question why you're having these thoughts. Doesn't the "maybe" make it worse? The one thing that helps me is that is to remind myself that these are just thoughts and I know I'm not a monster, even if I feel like one. Is ERP not for everyone? Has anyone else had a problem with the techniques used in this kind of therapy? I had cognitive therapy for years with an OCD specialist and that seemed to help a lot. Writing out the worst case scenarios would make me suicidal. Im having a difficult time not obsessing over the "maybe" after intrusive thoughts now. It doesn't make it better.
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