For those who've experienced a decrease in symptoms after practicing ERP- how often did you practice ERP? What kinds of exposures did you do? What else can you suggest to people who are new to treatment?

I have POCD which has slowly been improving through ERP. I have fear of being near children and public places have been a source of anxiety for me. The way I have tackled this is by deliberately going into stores where children maybe (ex grocery stores, Target). I set small goals for myself to get increasing more exposure. Day one was to make it inside the store. Day 2, get a cart and look at one item in the store. Day 3 walk down the aisle. Day 4 make a whole lap. Now I am working on being “hands free” (no phone and no cart) in the store and have deliberately visited the toy section and baby clothes. The suggestions I can make to others are this: -choose an activity you can commit to working on consistently (needs to be at least daily) -make your game plan for what you will do as you encounter your trigger and have to deal with the anxiety (is there a place you can go to be alone? Someone you can call but not get reassurance? ) -plan to do the exposure when you are not experiencing HALT (hungry, angry, tired, lonely) - reward yourself and allow for down time after exposure (reward cannot be engaging in a compulsion) - practice self-compassion and do not beat yourself up for perceived slow or ineffective progress (This is counterproductive)

I didn't practice it on a scheduled basis as such I just tried to do it when I could /had the courage to do it in work or at home after many discussions with my psychologist. It's taken me 2 years to get to a position where I can do more exposures in a day. I'd probably say I can do it for a few hours before I get a bit overcome with my obsessive thinking which is an achievement from where I originally was. I do have dips particularly when ill or overtired. I have checking OCD- checking things are off or the door is locked or that I've made the right decisions in work. I try to go with my initial gut reaction and not check for as long as I can. It was harder in the beginning but it's getting easier at times. I do find my OCD can pop up in other forms when one form is getting better. Right now it's driving and I'm trying to apply what I've done with my other exposures to this and it's tough! But it'll be worth it!

You learn the methods and then do it when u feel u can cope. Same with hierarchy. You don't label everything from 1-10 (most severe) you just feel when you can take a minor thing on and then some time later a major. With me it's a process of over two years, three years... now I don't have major compulsions anymore, but obsessions will never go away and loads of minor compulsions throughout the day. But I recognize them now almost always instantly and can handle it far better than I ever could, when I didn't know what I have. I can do so many things now again. But I have it all my life and think it will never go away, just shifting, increasing, decreasing, altering, vanishing, resurrecting.. It's exhausting. And takes so much away from you. Career, friends, happiness... Another thing I wanna add. It seems that a lot of people on here or in general don't really understand this condition. Read up on it and learn everything you can about it. God doesn't help. Only you yourself can help you get better.