- Date posted
- 5y
- Date posted
- 5y
We're both commenting in another thread at the moment, but I just wanted to respond here too. YES. You're spot on the ERP- just gotta live with the uncertainty. There are no answers. I've dealt with many themes but Existential has been one of the toughest for me throughout the years because "you were born so you have to exist until you die and it's all meaningless except for the liminal meaning you create" is pretty, uh, definitive lol. I suppose religion and afterlife beliefs help some people with that, but when I get into such ideas, I just swing into scrupulousity. Yikes. Such is life with OCD. Cheers :p
- Date posted
- 5y
Oh my god this is me constantly. Thank youuuuuu. I've been wondering whether this was part of my OCD or not, and assumed it was, but I haven't seen anyone touch on what I go through quite like this. For example, if I think about going to the gym, and I don't feel like doing it, I wonder if I'm just doing it because society wants me to look a certain way. And then I'll think, no but it helps my body stay healthy, but then I think, but I could be doing other hobbies and it's not like my body is going to improve in one session, and on and on. It's like this for the littlest things I want to do, like just choosing a movie to watch sometimes, or deciding whether to read or play a game. It's so fucking annoying!!!!!!!
- Date posted
- 5y
I'm glad you liked it, i was genuinely going to do me and my brains argument about going to the gym ??♂️?
- Date posted
- 5y
@DrBurnzz The gym one is one of my most challenging mental exercises FOR SURE
- Date posted
- 5y
Cheers for the reply. Ye, i'll stick to ERP. It's a strange one E OCD because an existential crisis seems so close to it. Which plenty of people go through and can come out better on the other side but like someone said on the other post E OCD seems to be never ending with no conlcusion.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 17w
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.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 13w
I used to get caught in a loop with existential thoughts very frequently. Every question made my stomach drop: (TW: existential questions) … … ... "Why does anything exist at all? What will death be like? Is anything even real? Is there any meaning to this? Is the universe infinitely big, and if not, what's beyond it? Are there multiverses? Has the universe been around forever? Will the universe end for good, or will it keep going forever? What is forever like? What even IS reality?" It would get so overwhelming that I remember lying on the floor in a fetal position for hours because I felt like there was no escape. I spent most of my days reading articles and watching videos about theoretical astrophysics and philosophy in a desperate attempt to "figure it all out." Of course that only made me more anxious, raised more questions, and kept me trapped in the cycle. Things started to improve once I learned to turn TOWARD reality, rather than away from it, and ERP really helped me do that. I learned that these questions weren't the problem. I learned that I can actually handle the anxiety that arises when exposed to these ideas and concepts. I don't have to figure anything out to make the anxiety go away; it arises and passes away on its own. Ironically, bringing myself into the present moment and becoming more aware of reality helped me escape the cycle of existential dread. Because of that, this topic no longer takes over my life. If I'm triggered by something I see, hear, or think, I may still feel a little twang of anxiety, but then it just goes away. "Maybe, maybe not" has been the single most useful phrase of my life. Do you ever get trapped in a cycle of existential questions? Are you worried that the ERP approach would be too scary to handle? If so, I'm happy to give my advice.
- Date posted
- 24d
I read about ERP and have seen information about it on here. One of the goals is to say, "maybe I am this or that...ect." That terrified me. The thoughts and images that go in my head are disturbing and upsetting. I don't want to even think about saying, "maybe this or that." It's devasting to have these thoughts and question why you're having these thoughts. Doesn't the "maybe" make it worse? The one thing that helps me is that is to remind myself that these are just thoughts and I know I'm not a monster, even if I feel like one. Is ERP not for everyone? Has anyone else had a problem with the techniques used in this kind of therapy? I had cognitive therapy for years with an OCD specialist and that seemed to help a lot. Writing out the worst case scenarios would make me suicidal. Im having a difficult time not obsessing over the "maybe" after intrusive thoughts now. It doesn't make it better.
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