Therapy advice

Hi everyone, I really need an advice. I discovered I have ocd two years ago. I tried to go to therapy for a few time in 2022 but it was terrible: my therapist didn't do erp and was convinced I didn't have ocd because I didn't have any physical compulsion (🚩). In November 2023, I started going to therapy again: finally, I received my ocd diagnosis. However, even my new therapist doesn't practice erp. She understands my disorder a lot better, but she doesn't give me homework or tips for exposures. I am not as desperate as I was some years ago, but I must admit I can't say I'm fine either. I constantly ruminate (even if I try not to) and I feel anxious almost every day. My main theme before was so-ocd. Now I have less obsessions regarding that, but I'm starting to develop r-ocd. I'm in a relationship since November and the idea of losing him or ruining our love do to ocd really freaks me out. Another thing I should add is that I live in Italy, and here it's very difficult to find a trained erp therapist. So my question for you is: do you think I should try creating a hierarchy of exposures on my own? Is it something that I can try? And if it doesn't work, should I try to see if NOCD can do therapy for people living abroad? It's very expensive and it wouldn't be in my language, but it seems to me that they are the only ones who really understand all this. Thanks to anyone who will take the time to read all this and give me an answer❤️

Peabody

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

I'm so sorry it's been such a journey to find a therapist that can help you! I'm not sure if NOCD has any training materials they can provide your current therapist to help them learn to treat via ERP? If not, you could probably get just a couple sessions with a NOCD therapist to help set up a hierarchy of exposures and get instruction on what to avoid and do to help it work. You could also do it without contacting NOCD of course, but it's effectiveness would be up to how well you understand how to do ERP.

Iwanttobreak...

Date posted: 1y

Thank you, that's a great idea. I don't start from zero and I think I understand quite well how ERP works, but having a professional who gives you instruction is definitely more effective! Maybe I'll contact NOCD to ask what I can do. And I'll speak with my current therapist too. Finding the right therapy is almost more difficult than therapy itself ahahha😵‍💫

Peabody

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

Oh my gosh, don't I know it! Before I found NOCD I kept finding therapies that matched you with a random therapist each time--unhelpful for making progress, only really helpful for managing emergencies. If you've got a good therapist, definitely keep them!

Iwanttobreak...

Date posted: 1y

Yep that's really annoying, sorry you had difficulties finding a therapist too! If I can ask, doing therapy with nocd has worked for you? Has it been helpful?

Peabody

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

@gre-gre It has! I had CBT therapy with an OCD specialist for years; it brought me from nonfunctional to fairly functional, but didn't help get rid of the OCD altogether. ERP has helped me understand the real basis for my fear isn't the OCD topic but rather uncertainty, and how I can slowly make uncertainty less scary without pushing myself too fast and cementing that fear.

Iwanttobreak...

Date posted: 1y

@Peabody I'm so glad it helped you! ERP really is the best thing for ocd :)

annabanana248

Date posted: 21w

In limbo between therapists and feeling discouraged

I've been in and out of talk therapy for OCD-related issues for years, but it hasn't been effective long-term. I am struggling with body image / eating disorder adjacent obsessions and I am really hopeful that ERP might actually give me some relief. I had my first session with my NOCD therapist a few weeks ago. It felt like a good match and I was ready to unpack my obsessions and compulsions to try ERP for the first time. The day of my second session she canceled due to personal illness. Then this happened a second time. Yesterday all of my future booked sessions were canceled without explanation. I went to schedule with a new therapist and the ones that seemed could be a good fit are filled up until at least early April. I booked a slot and sent the therapist a message letting her know I would be interested in starting sooner if a slot opened up. I am just disappointed. I could just meet with another therapist who has earlier availability, but it's most important to me that the therapist be a good fit since I've been through therapy so many times. I feel like I'm in limbo until I have an ERP plan set up and I'm not sure how to move forward in the meantime. I'm planning try out a support group but I need a personalized exposure plan and I'm not sure if that's something I should just try to set up myself? Anyone have something similar happen to them? Any thoughts or advice would be helpful.

PenguinB

Date posted: 10w

Getting through life when therapy is unaffordable

Hi everyone, I'm in a bit of a difficult situation and I wanted to ask for some advice. I recently finished my studies and I am living from my savings while I look for a job. However this process has turned out to be a lot more difficult and tedious than I expected. I suspect I have OCD as I relate to a lot of the experiences described here, in particular those corresponding to pure OCD. I have continuous intrusive thoughts about how what I'm currently doing is not enough, I constantly need to reassured that what I'm doing is right, with some magical thinking and concerns about my relationship sprinkled in. These intrusive thoughts have made it very difficult to make any significant progress in looking for something. Added to this I'm not even sure I have OCD as I don't have the money to afford therapy right now (my mind keeps telling me that it's silly to write this message because there's no way I have OCD). I live in Switzerland so as far as I understand my insurance won't cover sessions with NOCD. In conclusion I'm a bit stuck, therapy would help with finding a job but I need a job to get therapy. If any of you have had any similar experience and have some piece of advice it would be very welcome.

Kinjared

Date posted: 8w

ERP THERAPY BY MYSELF

It could be possible to treat a severe scrupulosity OCD without taking medication and asking guidance from the psychiatrist? I can't afford for professional consultation 🥹. Can anybody give me some advices on how to deal with these intrusive thoughts? 🙏

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