Feeling hopeless about OCD therapy and unsure I can cope with ERP.

Lost Cause

This is my first time in ocd specific therapy, even though I’ve been struggling with it since I was a kid and I just feel like there’s no hope and I won’t be able to tolerate the distress of ERP. My OCD is so wide ranging and convoluted I can’t imagine being able to untangle it and actually make progress. It’s making me miserable and has me trapped in my thoughts but I don’t even know how to verbalize some parts of what I’m experiencing. I’m just checking, reviewing and over analyzing everything in my life constantly. My brain feels like it’s on fire and it takes me days to recover from OCD induced breakdowns. I don’t know if I have it in me to work through this :(

Username: J1000J1000

Date posted: 43w ago

It’s baby steps but you will make leaps and bounds overtime. Don’t be too hard on yourself. I felt in a place where the walls were closing in with “what ifs” and saw no way out of it. I’m still working at it but i am having more moments of peace and clarity. It’s really worth it

Username: dustdust

Date posted: 43w ago

I feel the struggle

Username: User11123User11123

Date posted: 43w ago

I am feeling the same feelings. I will say, starting with the tiniest exposures truly does make the bigger ones feel easier. But another thing to consider is that if you are not already taking Medication, it can be very effective in conjunction with ERP at lowering the anxiety enough that you feel able to do the exposures.

Username: hillary

Date posted: 6y ago

I’m feeling super discouraged with my ERP progress :( I’m starting to fear that I have treatment-resistant OCD or something, or that it’s not even OCD :( I’ve got harm-OCD which it’s a tricky one to tackle bc it’s pure O. i’ve been working on ERP for about 4 years now but nothing seems to spike my anxiety enough at the time of the session. I feel safe doing the ERP, but when I get alone with my thoughts/idle mind, that’s the only time I get anxious. I’m super discouraged and anxious rn so any insight is so appreciated. xoxo

Username: Anonymous

Date posted: 1y ago

Crashing

I think I’m spiraling and hitting a low point. I started ERP a few days ago. Now that I’m finally in therapy, all I think about is how i won’t be able to do it or it’s not going to work and I feel like I’ll never get better and I’m going to be stuck with this for the rest of my life and be miserable forever.

Username: October12

Date posted: 1y ago

The struggle bus

I am feeling absolutely hopeless that ERP will work. I am in a state of near constant heart pounding, restlessness, and my head spinning and spinning. I feel like it’s too hard and I can’t do this and if I don’t get this, I’m out of options and will end up in a mental institution. This is the most insane experience I’ve ever had in my 43 years alive. I have two young children and a husband that are my world and I just want to be free of this!! I want my old life back before I woke up like this on some random day. I feel completely hopeless and like I’m not supposed to reassure myself, encourage myself, etc. I just needed to get this out.

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Feeling hopeless about OCD therapy and unsure I can cope with ERP.

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