Does anyone else feel like they are getting worse? I started here a couple months ago doing ERP, but I feel like my OCD is getting way worse and am hardly able to function properly most days without panic or anxiety attacks …. I try response therapy, but it hasn’t worked for me. I’m not sure what to do going forward. Any suggestions?
I have tried ERP for my intrusive thoughts and I had a similar response. I started having panic attacks everyday and had to leave work and couldn’t pay for basic necessities. I think letting your therapist know what you’re going through is a good first step. And maybe either stepping back ERP for a little while or taking a different direction could be a good option. But ofcourse discuss this with your therapist. Just remember to try and not react to intrusive thoughts and try to redirect compulsions in the meantime to ease the repetitiveness and spiraling of OCD symptoms. I hope this can help even a little 🩷 and I hope you get the treatment you need and deserve 🩷
@jamtighe Thank you so much for the advice. I tried telling her that the response prevention wasn’t helping at all, but that’s all she would say to do, so I just wonder if she’s not the right match for me…. But I also don’t want to start with someone else that might be even less helpful.
Find things to do that you enjoy and that takes you out of ur comfort zone but not too much start off small then work ur way up
Let your therapist know. They should be able to adjust their approach or give you a better understanding of how erp works. Cbt is also an option for ocd but I feel that's only temporary and doesn't give you the mental tools to use on your own like erp
@Wolfram I did, but she seemed like she didn’t know how to help me. She just gave me a crisis call center and told me to do the response therapy. When I told her that it wasn’t helpful, she didn’t give me any other tools…
@Alexssa she should be able to adjust the approach. Maybe use a phobia or something as an experiment to see how it works?
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
Anyone find that ERP is not helping with the ocd? I’ve been going up me hierarchy slowly but I’m not getting any real relief from obsessions or anxiety - at times it seems to just get worse. My therapist says until I have gone thru my entire hierarchy I won’t feel much change in my symptoms. Anyone else going through this? I feel kind of dejected and hopeless about it like this is never getting better. My therapist even said I should maybe stop ERP because it’s not working (she might have been baiting me, tho - I don’t know)...
I have been suffering from OCD for many years. I am on numerous medications through my psychiatrist and have been in therapy for over a year. I don’t feel like things have necessarily gotten better. While ERP has been a big part of my therapy, it has become harder to trust in the process. Has anyone experienced treatment-resistant OCD? I take responsibility for not being as dedicated to ERP as I was when I started, but I am so frustrated with my lack of progress. Any feedback would be appreciated!
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