- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
I’d say do the erp until the 3-4 drops down ever further. I’m happy that you’re anxiety has gone down, though! Remember that intrusive thoughts are normal and you may still be obsessing over them because you’re brain is used to it. Try Jeffrey Schwartz 4 steps, label it as an intrusive thought, remind yourself it’s not you it’s your ocd, and then focus on something more mindful and in the moment. Good luck!
- Date posted
- 6y
Once ERP lowers your anxiety levels you gotta keep doing your ERP even tho you no longer experience distress or anxiety with your intrusive thoughts. The goal is to bring the intrusive thoughts on purpose when you are not thinking about them in order for your mind to move on from the obsession.
- Date posted
- 6y
@bookworm if I’m being completely honest I haven’t been doing my ERP for a long time. I’ve relied on medicine to take away the anxiety and hoping through that the intrusive thoughts don’t become bothersome and go away. Unfortunately I think I’m going through a bout of depression so its somewhat split. I see my psychiatrist on Friday and am going to ask him what med changes we can make so I’m working on the OCD (and depression) but also functioning (I avoid and isolate as my job has weird hours and schedule).
- Date posted
- 6y
haven’t experienced that but i don’t think the goal is to get rid of the intrusive thoughts. if they don’t give you any anxiety then wouldn’t you be better at forgetting them?
- Date posted
- 6y
I still have anxiety, but we are talking about 3-4 tops on a scale of 10. Their still constant obsessive thoughts.
- Date posted
- 6y
i don’t think you can do erp without anxiety depending on how long you’ve been using the strategies and meds. may i ask how long?
- Date posted
- 6y
Curious...what medication are you on? I’ve been through so many meds this past year...
- Date posted
- 6y
@AshleyLM I’m on Lexapro, Neurotin and take Xanax.
- Date posted
- 6y
@AYCArnold, didn’t even think about that. Thanks for the feedback!
Related posts
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 24w
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
- 20w
Hiii - hope everyone is having a good day! Has anyone found any type of medication or supplements helpful with thinking sooo deeply about everything and intrusive thoughts? I’m in therapy + doing erp but my brain in this relapse of ocd just thinks sooo deep into my brain and i can’t seem to not to do it pull myself out. Like I’m just paranoid. An example would be if i simply look at my arm I’ll think so deeply about it like what’s under my arm what’s it look like inside etc. but if anyone not in this cycle looks at their arm they’ll be like hmm ok cool my arm and move on w their day. Just looking to see if anyone has had a similar experience of what I’m feeling rn.
- Date posted
- 15w
Hi - just for some context, I have OCD and ADHD. I hate bringing this up, but with these diagnoses, when intertwined, there is ALWAYS a thought. I never stop thinking. This is really hard, especially because I feel like I always need to be talking to someone. Whether it’s my friends or family, talking to people brings me down to earth from certain kinds of thought spirals. However, when I’m alone it is the hardest. When my friends don’t reply I have this compulsion to text again or I need to constantly check my notifications so that I have none left to check. But then to them or new people I talk to, this behavior probably comes across as overwhelming or too much. I’m trying to control it and use erp, but also, I have my moments where I’m just vunerable and give into the compulsion. It’s genuinely so embarassing and maybe not as big a deal as I’m making it out to be but, how do I manage? And how do I relax?
Be a part of the largest OCD Community
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond