- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
It is super normal - when you have been doing ERP hard core you progress and then you hit a stage of lethargy that feels like depression and lots of tiredness. Don't know why that is but have heard many people going through the same - that is the place where many relapse. You need to push through and do lots of self care and behavioural activation. Friendship and distraction at this stage is crucial.
- Date posted
- 6y
By relapse I mean going into full blown panic attacks and anxiety and doing compulsions. -- Behavioural activation is restarting all those activities you've been putting off and/or avoiding due to anxiety and/or treatment such as friends, hobbies, work, school, relationships, etc.
- Date posted
- 6y
I appreciate that a lot! It’s mainly worse when I’m home alone in my own thoughts. It’s the best time to practice ERP but with the fewest distractions so it’s a catch 22. Should give me some resilience but sucks in the moment. It seems so simple to do some of my compulsions but I know it isn’t beneficial. Thank you for the response! I rode my bike up and hunt with some friends and it was very fun and gave me the boost I needed, even just for those few hours.
- Date posted
- 6y
@FernandoV - how does one relapse when it comes to forms of OCD? And what is behavioral activation? If you don’t mind me asking.
- Date posted
- 6y
Ahhh, ok. Thanks for takin the time to respond. Ya learn something new every day.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 25w
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.
- Date posted
- 8w
I had OCD earlier in life, but it came and gone. For the last 4.5 it's been one thing after another, though. Today I felt especially grossed out by my POCD and I feellike I'm losing last hope that I had. I hate to sound awfully dramatic, but I want to clarify things a little bit and ask for advice. So I've been taking antidepressants up until some point, had a break and then started taking them again. In the beginning of this month, I finally finished that second course. This time it lasted 1.5 years. It's important to note that for the last half year I was pretty proactive in finding solutions to my ocd, finding new methods and reading articles. It probably did help, but mostly in short-term. Today I felt like my symptoms (it's mainly groinal response) were scaringly prominent and it made me really depressed. Do I have to start all over? It never got good enough in the first place, so I'm not even sure if it's possible to cure. I admit I might've not been pushing myself enough to do the scariest possible things, but that doesn't mean I didn't do ERP. Now, to the venting part. I'm not sure if anything really helped: if I'm relaxed it's probably just a matter of good mood. I'm anxious when going outside. I feel like I don't deserve friends because of my "dirty" secret -- I feel incredibly ashamed for groinal sensations. There were times when I'm sure it wasn't a phantom feeling, but a real one I caused. But I can't undo anything, so it has to stay with me. My family really loves me, so of course killing myself was never an option. But I still hate myself. I'm too tired to keep on fighting with OCD and bearing the burden of those very shameful events is too hard. What do I do? Maybe I'm just not adapted to living without antidepressants, so I'm being too emotional and all I should do is continue doing ERP. But my point is that I'm too exhausted. Thank you for reading. I see many here have a similar problem, I hope you're staying strong. I'd love to help you all, but I'm afraid that right now I'm not suit for giving out good life advice
- Date posted
- 8w
I feel like I've been doing good with trying to get better. Sticking to therapy as much as I can (with ups and downs). But I just feel somehow more blue than ever. Anyone else feel like that? My self talk is such a drag. Im trying to shake it.
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