- User type
- Staff
- Date posted
- 33w ago
The truth about ERP
What’s a misconception you had about ERP therapy?
What’s a misconception you had about ERP therapy?
It wouldn’t work because it wasn’t making me feel better right away. It gets worse before it gets better.
!!!!!!!!!
The RP is the most important part, not the E.
The response prevention part is crucial!
@kasibul There is actually a study on this from 1971 that compared E, RP and ERP. It shows that RP on its own doesn’t work but the combination of E and RP works. So don’t underestimate the E.
@Anonymous Well, I don't do exposures anymore, with that I mean planned exposures. Most lot of my obsessions and compulsions happen in my head and I have a lot of obsessions popping up every day. I just use them to practice RP and it works great.
@Zoë_84 I often made the experience that dropping planned exposures does make my OCD worse. In the end I think ERP can be considered something like a medicine and if you reduce the dose, you might get worse. I mean if you think about it, making a planned exposure is showing your brain that you are willing to face the obsessions head on, so it makes sense that it does help. But I also think everyone has different recovery paths and that’s fine too.
It wouldn't work on Pure OCD or just obsessive thoughts...I was wrong!!!
Yes!! Mental compulsions are sometimes challenging to be aware of.. but ERP can definitely target them as well!
That it might not work for my specific case. My OCD is real. It’s not imagined.
Yes... OCD's job is to make it feel as real as possible.. which is NOT fun
I think I always used to think that ERP was meant to help me calm down or stop having bad thoughts, anxiety, or confusion when in fact it's all about letting those things be there all the same and learning how to manage them until they pass. And it happens all the time, not just when you're in therapy or practicing it, but also when it hits you out in the wild- especially then, really.
This is PERFECTLY put. Thanks for sharing!
In the wild... Lol
I have some trouble getting triggered in sessions. I think my brain knows it's not real??
@Misstama65 Yeah, that has happened to me certain times. I find that the independent practice of it, or applying the techniques when the OCD comes up naturally is the most effective. Though the things we practice in sessions are supposed to be triggering enough to get that fear going intentionally. Maybe there's other kinds of exposures that would work better that you haven't done yet?
@Tyconia We are working on it. It's the in "the wild" where I get triggered. I have learned skills though. My main compulsion is ruminating
Not me, but my family. Doing certain exposures will make you a bad person (related to ROCD)
A common misconception!!
It doesn’t eliminate OCD, but it helps you live your life again.
Yes, love this one!
That each session is going to be a massive rollercoaster that is going to be the scariest thing in your life. It's a process all about making new pathways in your brain and making the good pathways faster.
Beautifully said!
A. That my therapist had to specialize in ROCD. B. It wouldn’t work unless I knew exactly what we were doing. C. It wouldn’t work unless it was the same as what I have researched. Omg I was so wrong about so many things
Great awareness! Thanks for sharing!!
A friend told me that “because it makes you uncomfortable it’s not doing you any good”
Sometimes being uncomfortable can lead OCD to lose its power!
@Brenna - NOCD Team Member Sometimes??? I thought being UNCOMFORTABLE helped in OCD losing its power!
That it's torture. It's really hard, but its not torture because torture harms you. ERP will help you.
Good one!
If I do ERP my ocd will get worse.
Writing out the worst case scenarios means they will come true
@peaks&valleys I still deal with this worry so it’s comforting to know I’m not alone!
Some triggers are inappropriate for exposure like harmful dust but that doesn't mean it applies to all triggers and shouldn't be used as an excuse to not engage in it for triggers that are such as checking rituals. OCD is all or nothing. But the myth is that ERP is a catch all, perfect treatment which it isn't however it does have limited application.
Limited? I am confused.
That I would be judged for my obsessions
No judgement here!!
What is erp
ERP stands for Exposure Response Prevention therapy. This is the gold standard treatment for OCD - all of our NOCD therapists are trained in ERP. This therapy teaches you to confront your obsessions and fears instead of trying to "get rid" of them.
That it is bad to feel uncomfortable in the process. The temporary discomfort is worth it for the long term results.
That one has to start at a high anxiety level for ERP to work. I think where I'm from, that's a widely spread misconception amongst therapists. It might work for some OCD sufferers, but for others, like myself, it made ERP impossible. I'm glad I did online therapy with OCD specialists from the US and Canada. Their approach is so much better in general, than any therapy for OCD I got in my country.
A big one for me is the idea that my exposures have to be extremely intense all the time in order to help me. Sometimes I will use a low-rating written exposure on a day I’m feeling anxious and it helps so much
Worried that it won’t work for REOCD, that it will make me so much worse, etc.
I thought it would make me give into committing the crimes I was scared about (i have pocd and zocd) but as i did it further i noticed myself less and less afraid to be around triggers.
That it’s “too mean”. It works!
I thought that the therapy would be easy but personally I don’t think I knew what was going on because it was kinda hard to find out what my OCD was doing to me
That is was hokum.
It will cause me to be a bad person
It fixes you, I'm broken forever despite therapy. Some of us aren't meant to be happy
My dad seems to think that because I'm doing erp it's ok for him to do "surprise exposures" like sending my pictures of things I'm phobic of. He thinks it's hilarious, but he clearly does not understand the level of trust it takes to do ERP
I had no idea how effective therapy could be.
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?
Can someone please tell me at what point did you finally accept that it’s OCD? When did the ERP click for you? When did you just stop buying into the lies of OCD and finally let go? Like what does it take. It’s been 2 years of this for me and I’m in ERP currently and it’s just not clicking 😣 is it just me???
Can I hear some examples of specific parts of ERP that has helped you? I've been doing talk therapy for a few years and the major issue I have with it is that I already have analyzed all of my problems from every angle, so I'm kind of just sitting there yapping about it for an hour. I need solutions and things that make me feel better.
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