Can POCD make so convinced?

Hi Liz, how are you? Tomorrow is going to be 2 weeks. First week was bliss honestly, I was able to discard the thoughts so easily and I didn't feel the doom on my chest anymore, but this week it all came back

@Abuchs - Sounds EXACTALLY like my experience. my first week was WONDERFUL, but that was a placebo mixed with my brain just being VERY responsive to a MUCH needed dose of seratonin, but it got absorbed pretty fast, and I, like yourself, had MONTHS of exhaustion and mental harm that I needed to recover from. the 2 week up thru the 1.5 month range was a struggle for me, an di had to increase my dosage 3 times. You are VERY early in your medication. May I ask what you are on? Its also ok if you're not ready to do ERP yet. but you can do prep work for it, which is taking care of your body, eating well, sleeping well, exercise, and you can do baby ERP which is, just stop fighting the false attraction. you don't have to agree with it, you don't need to disagree with it. just call it out. say " oh, there's that false attraction again, ok, cool, now I gotta keep on living life" Give yourself time, I think the medication will start to kick in more for you around 4-6 weeks and also if it needs to be increased too.

@TexasOCD41 I'm taking sertraline in the mornings and risperidone before bed. As for fighting the false attraction I don't think I can because it feels too real (or should I say it's real?). I remember the second day when I woke up I had a thought and I was like "yeah whatever" and I felt I couldn't stop smiling and I had such a wonderful time talking with my mom, which I hadn't enjoyed in so long. Maybe it was placebo effect, but I would like everyday to be like that

@Abuchs I take sertraline too ;) I had to increase my dose 3 times before I got to the “ sweet spot” and it was rough at first. As for the false attraction, remind yourself “ it went away before, it will again, the meds worked, they will again, I’m just gonna stay strong and remember Liz said it’s all OCD, it sucks right now but it won’t forever “ I REALLY have such a good feeling you’re going to get thru this. Even now, I see some strength in your posts, you show reliance, you’re getting there!

@TexasOCD41 Thank you so much Liz, I send you all the love in the world, thank you for being so kind 💕🌍

Hi Nica, I can't stop feeling convinced, and everything I try to do feels like it demands so much energy from me (it even annoys me at some points) and I can't enjoy anything. I don't know what to do anymore.

@Abuchs Are you on medication? I might not be remembering correctly due to bad memory, but are you in ERP therapy yet?

@Nica I am on sertraline and risperidone and I am scared to do ERP because I read that it can make the attraction stronger in peds and I don't want to even have the chance of that being true. I just hope the meds help me discard the thoughts automatically, and I'm scared that if they don't it'll mean I am truly one (although I already feel like one so idk)

@Abuchs - IDK where you read that nonsense about ERP making attraction stronger in peds. That is absolute rubbish. You are doing good by getting your baseline for your anxiety undercontrol with meds. Keep in mind, you said " feel like one" that's emotional reasoning, you know form our conversations that feelings lie, ESPECIALLY OCD feelings. Right now, just focus on reducing your anxiety and not fighting the thoughts. Just because you have these thoughts DOES NOT MEAN you are a pedo... it means you have OCD. THAT IS ALL. THIS is what you need to keep reminding yourself. the fact that you had a week of pure bliss and were able to discard them MEANS what I'm telling you is FACT! if you were a pedo, that week would not have happened. you have all the proof you need right there. The thoughts came back because the meds are still adjusting and your body is still recovering from MONTHS of being crosswired and exhausted.

I'm scared to practice it, I feel like it'll just make the (false?) attraction stronger or just confirm it all

@hanysm@gmail.com Thank you for that helpful summary