Stopping rituals and compulsions. Priority??

I've done that buddy. 4 therapists and 1 that specialised in erp and none of it helped infact it made everything feel worse. I don't think therapy works on everyone

@Joe87 Did you try medication?

@hanysm@gmail.com Yeah that didn't help either. I think the best thing for me is to just accept that I am just naturally a deep thinking person and there are some things in life that I am uncomfortable with and cause intrusive thoughts. My job is to accept that okay these thoughts are unpleasant but I don't need to try and understand why I get them. My job is to allow them to be there whilst continuing on with my day. Work, hobbies, responsibilities etc etc the thought will then eventually pass and of course return later on but then also pass again

@Joe87 Read this post, It might help. I wrote it before. I want your opinion https://app.treatmyocd.com/community/posts/2043944

@hanysm@gmail.com What you have said in the post is a really good way to understand OCD for sure. Its basically a stuck memory or thought that we feel needs resolving but there is actually no resolve to it or not one needed. I have elaborated a bit more on my post below and it would be great if you could give me your opinion on it

@Joe87 Where did you elaborate? I can't see it

@hanysm@gmail.com Underneath zoe_84 reply to me

@Joe87 No idea what you talking about, sorry

@hanysm@gmail.com How do you mean sorry??

Thanks for your reply. I did erp with a therapist from nocd and as lovely as she was and as clued up as she was I have to be honest and say that it didnt help me one bit. We set up a loop tape of me saying what my intrusive thoughts and fears are and that I believe will come true if I don't perform the physical compulsions that I perform and then basically every session I would listen to this loop tape in front of her on multiple occasions and tell her what level out of 10 my anxiety was at afterwards. Now don't get me wrong I totally understand how this can help like I 100 percent do. Firstly it is all about getting me to become comfortable with my intrusive thoughs because I can't run from them or assign meaning to them anymore than you or anyone else can run from from theres. Secondly it is about me then carrying on with my daily tasks without doing any compulsions. 1 100 percent get it and how it can help but unfortunately it just didn't for me. It might of been because I wasnt ready or motivated enough for it at the time but now I can't afford to try it again. I am in the UK so have to pay full price for these sessions and there are barely any ERP therapists in my area. So this brings me onto my second solution which is basically to accept that look I have OCD, anxiety and depression but i dont need to let it define me like i have done. I can start getting up in the morning again and go back to work, start exercising again and take up a new hobby. All of the things are proven to be beneficial to our mental health in general and I feel that by doing these things my self asteem and self worth will rise and I will have purpose again. I am afraid of doing these thimgs again because of course my OCD and anxiety is trying to stop me but I know that and I know I can do these things if I just try The OCD I have had has been on a level where I have given up work, exercise, all hobbies and spend a lot of days indoors doing not a lot and this is the 5th year of that. The one positive thing is that I have done is that I have researched OCD and mental health quite extensively and although this might well be a compulsion in itself it has certainly clued me up a bit. Another thing that I have noticed is that I have started to get out and go hiking and on the days that I do this my intrusive thoughts go down and therefore so does my response to them. What I'm saying is that I actually think I am going to find it easier to beat or manage my OCD by not giving it too much weight, effort or meaning and saying to myself that right its time to go back to work and back to life now if you know what I mean. But of course I have OCD so then my mind says to me are you sure that the right idea because what if this happens and what if that happens. Do you get what I'm saying? So I think what I'm asking for is a bit of backing and someone who is clued up to say Joe that is what you needed to do. It is slightly reassurance seekimg but hey we all need a bit of that sometimes and a bit of encouragement. So sorrry for the lonf reply but I would really appreciate your feedback on what I've said if you don't mind 😊