Hey everyone hope everyone is having a good day, just on here to see if anyone can give me some tips and tricks on how to do effective ERP, I am ready to take my life back from this mental illness, and just wondering if someone can give me some tips Hope everyone is thriving today!!
Welcome! I'm so happy for you, that you're here now. Do you have an ERP therapist? They'll have the best tips. And, if you're in ERP therapy with OCD, you can attend the community groups, which I highly recommend. I've been doing ERP for a while now but I still really struggle with certain subtypes, maybe also because I have other mental illnesses that complicate things. But here are some things I can share. š“ For ERP something that's been kinda helpful is called: "Non-engagement responses". I recently found this article helpful, https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/how-do-i-stop-thinking-about-this-what-to-do-when-youre-stuck-playing-mental-ping-pong/ š“Tips from things I've learned during ERP and groups so far:::: > Remembering that even invisible things like 1.) avoidance and 2.) ruminating and 3.) "trying to get to the bottom" of something and 4.) reassurance-seeking from loved ones, internet, etc. can be considered compulsions. > And also remembering that no matter what OCD says, us doing what it wants us to do, won't bring us satisfaction long-term. We may feel temporary relief in some cases, but it's only feeding the monster more. > A lot of people in groups say "OCD will always try to move the goal posts". The minute you think you're close to achieving satisfaction, OCD will move the goal posts. > Whatever decision we make, OCD will probably be annoyed, so we might as well choose a decision that aligns with our values vs. our fears. You can ask "am I investing in the future I want with this decision, or taking a step back?" š“ Books & Media:::::: And I like exploring NOCD's "OCD education video library" on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU4ycJNahDdtGbANIhcbifQ/videos A lot of people really like John Herschfield's books/workbooks like "Mindfulness For OCD", and Kimberly Quinlan's Self Compassion workbook. And the OCD Stories Podcast. "-"
@FJustRightOCD Thank u a lot man !
@FJustRightOCD What is the reassurance seeking about?
@PDButterfly Reassurance-seeking can be like when we ask someone (or look for) certainty about something we are feeling uncertain about to find some momentary comfort, which actually makes OCD worse over time bc when we seek reassurance we are basically sending the message to our brain that our OCDs fears/discomfort is valid. The way to work through our fears and discomfort around uncertainty is to learn how to tolerate it, or really just show ourselves that we CAN tolerate it, that we can do the hard things that ocd is trying to turn us away from.
@PDButterfly Hereās an article about it! https://www.ocdtypes.com/reassurance.php#:~:text=Reassurance%20seeking%20is%20a%20very,images%2C%20or%20feelings%20of%20uncertainty.
I highly recommend you engage with a therapist from NOCD. You can request a consultation on the site or app. It has changed my life
Can I hear some examples of specific parts of ERP that has helped you? I've been doing talk therapy for a few years and the major issue I have with it is that I already have analyzed all of my problems from every angle, so I'm kind of just sitting there yapping about it for an hour. I need solutions and things that make me feel better.
Iām starting NOCD. I had several years of cbt as a child (well over 20 years ago) and I see a trauma therapist. But now Iāll be seeking further help for OCD and just really scared. CBT wasnāt helpful for me. How has ERP been helpful for you? Do you feel like youāll finally get your life back? Iām consumed by my obsessions š¢ Would love others feedback if ERP helped you ā¤ļø
Hi! I've been on my OCD healing journey for about half a year and I have seen a lot of success. I'm reaching out for advice, I am very willing to do exposures because I know the more I do them, the more I get better, but I struggle with the response prevention part. I don't know how to control my brain when it comes to facing the fears especially since most of my compulsions are mental. I can tell myself the typical things "I am okay with the uncertainty of this happening", etc. but its like my brain doesn't believe them. I've been stuck in this disconnect for a while and would love advice you have heard from a therapist or learned that has really help you.
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond
