Professional advice or experience? Tnx ❤️

@j vv the therapist doesn't monitor my exercises, he just gives me instructions, and always says that it's all normal! But I don't know how normal it is and how long it should be done to give an effect during exercise?

@Anonimus ME🫥 So I had this problem. I became so distraught and physically exhausted from doing too much ERP and not doing it correctly. Make sure you’re not making ERP an obsession/compulsion (which is easy to do). We set rules for me which helped a lot- I only do a certain amount of ERP in a day (10-30min) and only when my nervous system is stable so I can effectively manage not doing compulsions and I’m not traumatizing myself. We also decided using “I fear….” Statements were super helpful in making the ERP less intense until I could get the hang of it. You may be doing way too much. Yes, It’s normal to feel anxious for ERP, but you have to be able to have time for your body to rest in the day so it can continue to do ERP

@r.m.1 I used to work for half an hour, then I reduced it to 15 minutes a day, but I definitely understood it as a must even when I don't feel well. I kind of exaggerate in those disciplines. But it's the same almost every time, at the beginning they don't come spontaneously (thoughts and images), then I provoke them in order to feel something and face it, but then the details start, then the vulgar sentences, and I feel that I'm simply attracted to it, and some part always brings me back, and then I wonder if that ERP really helps, because my exercises are always like that... and how much time does it really take...

@j vv yes, it's really uncomfortable, plus I get mixed up with feelings, groin, fear, fear of those feelings, but I allow them, however, I guess I expect that when I'm exercising I don't feel anything, if I'm already exercising, however, I'm always very shaken but without compulsions... Are your topics similar to mine?

@jennamax20 exposure to thoughts and images in the head, and viewing photographs

@Anonimus ME🫥 the face of that person that associates me with something I don't want

@Anonimus ME🫥 And are you doing it with a therapist or on your own? The most important part of exposure I think is to resist compulsions while anxious. The thoughts and images may still be there vividly and the anxiety may still be present - but if you are engaging and ruminating and doing compulsions - progress will be minimal at best. It's so hard and it has been very up and down for me too

@jennamax20 with the support of the therapist, although she is not really for that, it's more that spontaneously when I find myself without analysis, but in order to achieve that I exercise... but I don't see any progress during the exercises... it's very stressful for me... well I don't know how roughly progress should be seen

@No matric certificate so I definitely try to do that during the day, and I just take some time for this, say half an hour when I'm actively involved in it, and it's very stressful and I don't know how much time it takes to feel that I'm not stressed so much by these thoughts... and everything that follows...

@Anonimus ME🫥 Do you mean when you are doing a expourse your anxiety level is like a 8 to 10 out of 10 scale ?

@No matric certificate Well, it's not always, sometimes it's smaller, sometimes it's really high, sometimes it's easier during the day, but I definitely always get triggered by those thoughts and images in my head.

@Anonimus ME🫥 If you seeing a therapist they will guide you if you can't afford one and you are doing it on your own like me ,check out nathan perterson master your ocd course it's a self directed one but it will guide you on how to go about ERP on your own ,ocd-anxiety but if you can afford to see a therapist check nocd or iocdf.org to find one in your area, when it's really high you need to drop the level of expourse doing meaning a doing a lower expourse level like 3 to 5 on a anxiety scale cause when it's very high your brain doesn't learn anything that's why you have to do it gradually exposing yourself, watch nathan perterson youtube ocd-anxiety he has videos that will help giving you tips on doing ERP

@j vv that some days I literally force myself to train, and I understand it as if I were in the gym. My compulsions are mostly thinking, imagining scenarios, then asking questions about what my reaction would be, and I imagine all this and feel as I want to and can do it, and that's where I got into trouble. I started Erp in January, where I allow it all, but I try my best not to think about scenarios and what it means that I feel, but I definitely had expectations that by now even in training, the groin, and those images will decrease, as well as those feelings that it is real... but for now it is definitely not, although during the day I can handle it easier when they come...

@j vv thank you! good luck to you too ❤️