Whenever I read about erp and recovery I find something like "it's not a full recovery, thoughts will still be there" and it triggers a massive anxiety attack in me and a feeling of hopelessnes. What does it REALLY mean to recover? I think I don't know anything at this point
I lived symptom free for around 10 years and what it meant for me was that I still had intrusive thoughts, but they never sent me into a panic like they did before. I was free. My biggest theme is health OCD so when I was in recovery, I could have a symptom of something, go to the doctor and not have a complete freak out about it. I felt completely normal and had a normal response. Versus when I’m in a flare up when everything makes me panic. Now I’m focusing on not engaging with the intrusive thoughts and not giving into compulsions. It’s the absolute hardest thing you’ll ever do but it’s the only way to really recover. The more we engage with the thoughts, the worse it will get. I hope this helps! Please know you’re not alone and that you can do this!
@emilytravelswild My biggest theme is health OCD as well. How do you cope with symptoms that trigger the intrusive thoughts and the compulsions of body checking and ruminating? Mine is so intertwined with severe anxiety, I don’t know what is reality. It can be so difficult when I feel I’m being attacked all day with symptoms and intrusive thoughts and it’s so interruptive of daily functioning? What kind of ERP dialogue do you use to combat the symptoms and thoughts? I’m trying the whole “maybe I have xyz, maybe I don’t” but it’s still just so strong. I feel I’m in fight or flight most of the time and my nervous system is so disregulated.
@OCDdontownme I could’ve written everything you said. Coping with the symptoms is so difficult when you think everything is a sign you’re dying (at least for me). What I’ve been doing is trying my hardest not to engage with the intrusive thoughts. The more we engage, the more we feed the OCD and the bigger it will get. What I’ve been doing is acknowledging the intrusive thought when it comes (OK, OCD, I see you, but I don’t have time for you today. This thought may be true, and it may not, but I have things to do), and then the MOST important part, is to then immediately shift to doing something you value and NOT give into compulsions (googling, checking body, ruminating, etc). Going about your day with the OCD screaming in the background and saying the above phrase every time it tries to get your attention. If you catch yourself doing a compulsion, it’s especially hard to stop ruminating, then catch yourself and go back to your day doing something you care about. This is literally the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do, but when I stop engaging with it, the thoughts do die down. That I can promise you. It’s just so difficult to do when you’re in a heightened state of anxiety. I so feel you that you’re living in a state of fight or flight, truly. Feels like that’s where I’ve been since September but you can do this! Always happy to connect outside of this app if you like. It’s so helpful being around others with our same theme. Sending you big hugs!
@emilytravelswild Oh my goodness I’ve also been struggling since around September! This time of year is so hard for me. And I’ve struggled with this subtype off and on for the past decade. I’m just so tired and want to beat this. I’m going to be addressing some past trauma with another therapist in hopes to help. But I ultimately know it’s the continued ERP approach that’s going to help me manage. But I think it’s just going to take a very long time. Thank you so much for the tips! I just need something solid for me to fall back on when the constant symptoms and thoughts come at me all day. It’s all consuming so sometimes I feel like I just start drowning and my mind goes blank when it comes to ERP. I would love to connect outside of this app! I honestly have just felt so alone for so long. I only really know one other person who has experienced this, but he’s doing pretty great right now, and I just want to get to that longterm place. Not sure how to connect outside of the app, whether it’s through my number or Facebook. Let me know! My name is Charity Anderson.
Of course you can recover with hard work and patience. I have been sub clinical for four years now which means recovered. Basically, what means to be recovered is you don’t care about the thoughts, you don’t interact with the thoughts and therefore nothing comes of the thoughts other than happening in your mind for a second. Everyone has intrusive thoughts, feelings, and images. People with OCD need to learn how to react to them and to not take them seriously because the brain is easily triggered with sticky thoughts that upset you.
here’s the thing about OCD. we’ve always had it. And the thing about unwanted thoughts is, we’ve always had them too! You can fully recover and I stand on that. Fully recovering isn’t getting rid of the thoughts, you can’t do that, you can only build your tolerance to your thoughts but that’s what we’ve been doing our whole life. Thing about the times flying in a plane when you started thinking scary thoughts about potentially dying on the flight. Or while driving wondering what would it feel like if you were to drive into the median or off that bridge. Those are scary unacceptable thoughts but we chose not to engage. Now i’m this period of our lives we have developed a habit of letting our thoughts control our emotions, however through erp you get back to that state of letting the thoughts be and you actually become better at doing it then you were before OCD really kicked in. At the start of my therapy i worried about this like you did, but I have witnessed subcategories of ocd go compete dormant for weeks with only a few minutes of the thoughts knocking at my door, they don’t bother me, i’m just like hey i remember when that thought used to drive me mad, and boom thought gone
@Anonymous Oh that’s so awesome! And so very true. I’ve had those thoughts so many times on a plane or driving. And that heightened state of fear is terrifying, but it does pass. What’s hard is that heightened state is my every day right now and I’m just so exhausted. I know what you’re saying is true because there have been periods where it feels “dormant” but when I’m in a flare, it can be SO HARD to remember and to do ERP. Thank you for your thoughts. It gives me hope. 🙏🏻
I relate with the last sentence. I indulge in too much ocd articles and stuff but in the end I feel like I don't really understand it
People say that with erp it is possible to live a good life. Although thoughts would still be there but you won't be acting on them. But i don't know how it would work if we keep on thinking..
I’ll list some key things with my main subtype, and I hope that I can get some erp advice, but it’s okay if not, I know nobody is my therapist..! 1. I have this thing where when I feel false attraction about a k!d, I will be immediately convinced and say “that means I am?” “I am attracted” “I feel attracted?” “He’s attractive” not to be weird but I panic and say these because I don’t want them, and I feel like I agree with it, this makes me feel like a bad person when I say them (sometimes I can’t help it when I get really stressed) what can I do for this to be better? 2. My brain will give me an intrusive question, asking if I’d do this,this or that, and I feel like agreeing or saying yes to this, sometimes I will hear a yes and I’ll freak out 3. When I get triggered by a photo, I have to keep checking and checking (this will always last forever) till I’m sure that I think the photo is cute or adorable and not in any way that I feel false attraction Whenever I feel convinced, I feel bad that I feel convinced and it’ll say “well if you were a good person, why do you allow yourself to get convinced even if you know you aren’t this”
If you suffer from taboo themes, and deal with groinal responses… Do you feel they have disappeared? Do you still notice them? For myself, they have become so engrained/automatic , so while i do not get “anxious” by them anymore i still can clock them & it can feel discouraging … What are your experiences?
Those of you who have overcome at least a bit, if not all, of your OCD. When you went through the CBT and ERP, did it feel like the end of the world? And how did you face the fact that your fears and uncertainties might actually come to life?
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