- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
I’ve wondered this a lot myself. This may not be the case for everyone with “just right” ocd, but I think that often there is a hidden anxious thought that “if I don’t make this right, I won’t be able to think about anything else or I’ll be anxious until it is right.” So that’s somewhat analogous to the fear of getting sick and dying with contamination OCD. I still find it difficult to do ERP with my just right ocd though, and do think it’s pretty different than other OCDs
- Date posted
- 6y
I agree. I have so many thoughts about doing the compulsion that I just do it to make them go away. Of course it’s only a quick fix until they all come back again. Something I try to do if I’m feeling up to it is try to wait longer periods of time before acting on the compulsion. Like... exposing myself to the discomfort
- Date posted
- 6y
@carlybelle I think it’s more to do with your fears. Like on the surface ‘Just right’ ocd might seem like there’s no real fear behind it, but there is. Therapists reveal what that is and then tailor the therapy around it. I’m pretty sure that’s how it works?? I’m not entirely sure though
- Date posted
- 6y
I recognise the same flaws sometimes in ERP, but usually there are ways, I think sometimes somehow we don’t want to figure it out. I have tried putting things ”just wrong”, and even though that helps it’s by no means a perfect method. What it does do is make you take a first step into the discomfort of things being ”not just right”. I think what is more useful is to stop yourself when you notice yourself trying to get something just right, and try to just leave it, maybe first by distracting yourself then to pure exposure.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 25w
Hi this is my first time posting on here. I wasn't sure if I should because I want to make sure I'm not seeking reassurance because I heard that makes ocd worse. I don't want to talk about what my ocd problem was, but basically I was really upset about a religious ocd problem that I know isn't true. I'm feeling a lot better about it now, but when it was bad I decided to try and get better on my own. I read about ERP therapy and how you're supposed to make a list of your ocd problems, from least distressing to most. So I wrote them down on two pieces of paper. At first I started with the simple ones, like looking for spiders before leaving the room. I have a tendency to look for spiders before leaving a room but lately I've been trying not to anymore. Then I decided to try and do one of the hard things. It was a religious ocd problem. I decided to start simple, and just write the problem down on a piece of paper. So I went downstairs and got some paper. But then I thought, oh no, my ocd is probably not going to like this. What do I do with the paper once I write it down? If I think what I wrote down is bad and going to upset God and I will go to hell, (even though I know logically it's not), my ocd is probably going to freak out if I throw away the paper. It probably won't calm down unless I erase it. So I just decided to not write it down on a paper, and just type it on my phone instead. So I did, I typed it on my phone. So, even though I didn't write anything down on the paper, now it feels like that peice of paper is bad. I feel like it's connected to the problem I was having, and I was so upset I called my mom crying asking her what to do. Eventually I decided to just put the paper back with the rest of the paper downstairs, but I'm still upset. I feel like I have to throw away all the paper downstairs, the pencil I was going to use to write down the problem, and the eraser I was going to use in case I needed to erase anything. It feels like if I use any of those items I will make God angry and go to hell. I know I shouldn't do this though, so I'm not going to. I don't know what to do with the papers where I wrote down my ocd problems. They are on my desk and I'm too afraid to move them. And if I put them in my desk I'm afraid they will get mixed up with other papers. I guess I can do whatever I want with them. I think I'll put them in a folder or binder and if I make any more ocd papers I can just put them in there. I'm just really confused on how to move forward. Right now, I'm too afraid to use the papers, pencil, or eraser for anything. I feel like I can't write on them, draw on them, or anything. It's even making me feel like I can't make digital art. It's making me feel like I can't do a lot of things. I guess what I have to do is just do whatever I want to, because I know the ocd isn't true and doesn't make sense.
- Date posted
- 22w
What would I do for ERP if my OCD says because I didn’t do something correctly or remember something I will have panic attacks that don’t end?
- Date posted
- 22w
One problem - Various themes This is my first post. I had a relapse a few months ago. Life was amazing and then boom, I got triggered by something and started spiralling about my sexuality (having finally been at peace for two years, entered a healthy new relationship and come out of the closet as an older women). How do you, when you're not triggered practice ERP? I'm able to try and accept the thoughts every time I see a man. What should I be doing when I don't encounter these triggers. I was to say as well that I also am starting to get real event OCD about some of the sexual things I did in the past when I was married and in an unhealthy toxic relationship with my ex husband. I am shamed and disgusted and I'm working on it but there's a certain subsection of the LGBTQ community that trigger these thoughts, groinals and thing for me... I feel like I'm beginning to realise I need to maybe be a little more active in my recovery instead of waiting for triggers... But I don't know how
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