- Date posted
- 1y
Just got my diagnosis
Anybody know how strenuous/exhausting the exposure therapy is?
Anybody know how strenuous/exhausting the exposure therapy is?
It depends on the therapy, how bad the OCD is, how much of an exposure you think you can handle, and other factors like that. It won’t be “easy” but that doesn’t mean it’ll be something horrible. I rather liked my ERP even when it was difficult cause at least I was on a road to improvement instead of suffering and getting worse
It is not either… It is worked on in degrees with your therapist. The whole point is that OCD is NOT about your content but about the compulsion. Therefore, OCD picks on what you value most (knowing you have an anxiety disorder) making you think you need to react to neutralize the thought…thru a compulsion. ERP helps you sit with anxiety so your body/mind learn your you don’t have to react…. Just noise, not a signal. Gradually, you can enjoy your values again.
Okay that’s reassuring
I’ve been at it a couple weeks. So far… a LOT less distressing than life itself.
Me and my therapist started out by ranking my different obsessive themes from one to ten, one being the least distressing and ten being the most. Then we took baby steps by working with low ranked themes before moving on to higher ranked themes as my confidence grew. It is uncomfortable but I felt like it was uncomfortable in a good way because I was finally fighting back against a problem I didn’t think I could fight back against before. I think you will find as much hope as I did in this process.
Hi guys! I’m new to the community and I’ve recently received my OCD diagnosis (tho I’ve known about it since childhood). I’ve been somewhat spiraling lately as I wait for my first ERP session (hooray!) I was just wondering if any of you guys have received ERP for existential OCD and if it was successful? My existential OCD compulsions are more so mental and have been affecting me in the sense of dream/memory flashbacks and giving me a sort of “uncanny” feeling about everything around me. Any advice is appreciated! Thank you❤️
So you got to ask me anything… Now I’d like to ask you something! I’ve heard from Members that they were so scared coming to their first ERP session. They were terrified that I would think they were crazy, that I would tell them their worst fears were true. That I would confirm they are some form of a terrible person or have them hauled off to prison for their thoughts. I’ve also had Members share how they’re very scared to begin ERP treatment because they’ve researched enough to know it means facing the fear, without the compulsions that have kept them feeling safe (but not really safe) this entire time. They struggled to see how they could be capable of doing this, while simultaneously acknowledging that they did not want to live like this anymore. If you have had your first session, what were your thoughts before? Did you have any hesitations or fears going into it? How did it turn out? If you haven’t yet begun to work with an ERP specialist, what is holding you back?
i am starting NOCD therapy on monday and was just curious on others’ experiences! what happens in your sessions, generally speaking? how do you feel during and after? i’m excited but also nervous to start. i’ve been in talk therapy for years with minimal improvement with my ocd, so im hopeful to start feeling better.
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