vespertine
- Date posted
- 1y ago
Just got my diagnosis
Anybody know how strenuous/exhausting the exposure therapy is?
DSXDSX
- Date posted
- 1y ago
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
Hopeful58Hopeful58
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 1y ago
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.
vespertinevespertine
- Date posted
- 1y ago
Okay that’s reassuring
Christine03Christine03
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 1y ago
I’ve been at it a couple weeks. So far… a LOT less distressing than life itself.
AnonymousAnonymous
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 1y ago
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.
Related posts
CorgiLove
- Date posted
- 24w ago
ERP Newb
Happy Tuesday friends. Question for you all: I have recently started ERP therapy (about one month ago) and I feel in a way it has helped. But I also notice that I feel the thoughts I do have are SO intense that I feel like I’m gonna explode and then I’ll cry and get upset but then feel better after having a “freak out”. Does this happen to any of you guys? Also, I told my therapist yesterday some of the exposures we had been doing made me uncomfortable. Like really really uncomfortable. She made me feel a little bad about not doing it and stated this would prolong my progress if I didn’t do it. I’m not sure if I should push my self to do this exposure because she told me to or to stick up for myself and move at my own pace. Thanks everyone.
Anonymous
- Date posted
- 19w ago
disliking ERP
I just started working on my first exposure today with my therapist after screening and creating the lists for several weeks now. We did an exposure together and now I feel 100x worse than I did coming in. I won’t go too into detail but it involved looking at a VERY gory image that had to do with my fear of natural disasters. I called my mom and talked with her and she was shocked and wondered how in the hell that would help me! I agree. Did any of y’all feel this way when you first started or is this just not the right kind of therapy for me?
Freddy327
- Date posted
- 11w ago
Waiting for therapy
Hi everyone. I'm feeling kinda scared because I have to wait a whole month to start ERP therapy, but I feel like I need to start doing exposures now because the longer I wait, the more anxiety I get. It just feels like the OCD monster is getting worse. One thing that helps me is asking one person about an obsession I have...asking a person that I trust, and then doing an exposure after I get the "ok" to do it. I feel like I do need 1 reassurance and then I can go ahead and do it. I know i'm not supposed to ask for reassurance at all, but i dont think you're supposed to do ERP on your own right? Does anyone have any suggestions for what to do while waiting for therapy? PS-the reason there is a wait is bc she's on vacation. After she's back we will meet regularly.
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