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I want to ask about exposure exercises in OCD treatment, specifically when some exposures feel unsafe or inappropriate. For example, sometimes I’m asked to say things aloud that are socially unacceptable in front of my family, or actions that could create real problems. My mind says this is impossible or crazy, and it definitely raises my anxiety. I asked ChatGPT, and it suggested doing exposures gradually, but I’m still unsure how to handle exposures that are truly unsafe. My imagination no longer worries me, but I really want advice specifically about handling unsafe exposures safely. Thank you!

Kdmaw

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 21d

IMO, what you deem unacceptable and unsafe should be defined by your core values and not your OCD. Defining your core values is hard (especially when trying to differentiate it from your OCD) but I think it’s useful. In general I use like the Kantian categorical imperative approach for if I hold something to be a value. If I hold something highly enough that it could be held evenly across all people then that is something I consider a value of mine. A specific example is service, I think all can be asked to provide for others within the limits of their capabilities and their ability to provide for themselves. So service to me is a value and I align some of the things I do in life to that value. I had contamination OCD that prevented me from doing service to others, eg I was afraid I’d get sick and pass that sickness to others as a result I didn’t do any volunteering within my community. I also have a finite amount of energy money and time so I could beat myself up on not doing enough service for others, but that’s not my value because I don’t think I should be able to force people, including myself, to live their whole in service to others. All of this to say, when you say an exposure could cause real problems are they OCD real problems or value real problems? OCD real problems you can work towards exposing yourself to, value problems are a boundary. Like an exposure for harm ocd could be murder but that’s not something any of our values, or law, will support. I had a specific issue with driving during traffic because I thought if I’m part of traffic and then an ambulance needs to get by and they’re blocked then I could’ve caused someone to die. I wouldn’t universally will that no one can drive their car except for emergency situations or everyone had to live within 10 miles of work, so I can’t really float that as a value. So I target doing things that got me used to doing that behavior and I’ve been able to drive in rush hour traffic again when needed. So a novel of a reply to basically say, if doing something violates your values it’s not an exposure but if it violates your ocd it is. For the scary OCD exposures you can do some smaller exposures around them maybe? So like instead of the full socially unacceptable things in front of family you could talk about those things with your family maybe as a half way point?

R🌷.

Date posted: 21d

Exactly, but there is a feeling that if I don’t do it, I will remain unwell, and I don’t want that. However, my parents have a difficult temperament, so I think my mind tells me it’s impossible for me to say it. This is because I was once punished by someone for saying a curse. I believe some of the OCD thoughts may be silly, but I think some of them stem from my incorrect upbringing.

Kdmaw

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 21d

@R🌷. Yeah so it sounds like something you want to tackle and not something incongruent to who you are as a person. In terms of curse is it like something profane to social norms or something profane to religious norms? And when you have these distressing thoughts, like saying something inappropriate in front of family, is the fear like “I’m worried I’m going to do this thing even thought I don’t want to,” or is it like “do I feel the need to have to tell someone about this bad thing I’m thinking,” or something else?

taylorrpaigee

Date posted: 20w

Any tips?

This is my first time posting - I have a fear of throw up and I’ve been told it is cause from my OCD (repetitive thoughts) which makes sense because if someone gets sick it replays over and over again and I can’t get it out of my head. It’s gotten a lot worse in the past maybe two years. I’m always on edge that someone is going to get sick around me. I’ve heard the “best or most common” way to help with this is exposure therapy and OBVIOUSLY I don’t want to do that. Anyone have any tips or anything for this (or maybe have done the exposure therapy)?

Monkeybrain842

Date posted: 17w

How does one activl 'practice' exposure therapy ?

One problem - Various themes This is my first post. I had a relapse a few months ago. Life was amazing and then boom, I got triggered by something and started spiralling about my sexuality (having finally been at peace for two years, entered a healthy new relationship and come out of the closet as an older women). How do you, when you're not triggered practice ERP? I'm able to try and accept the thoughts every time I see a man. What should I be doing when I don't encounter these triggers. I was to say as well that I also am starting to get real event OCD about some of the sexual things I did in the past when I was married and in an unhealthy toxic relationship with my ex husband. I am shamed and disgusted and I'm working on it but there's a certain subsection of the LGBTQ community that trigger these thoughts, groinals and thing for me... I feel like I'm beginning to realise I need to maybe be a little more active in my recovery instead of waiting for triggers... But I don't know how

issphra 🫶🏻

Date posted: 8w

Playing Devils Advocate Advice please

I’ve been gone for about a month, mostly because I kept seeing messages on here that felt super anxiety-inducing and not understanding of OCD at all. Honestly, it got to the point where I started getting nervous to even open the app. Lately, I’ve been stuck in this OCD loop that I think might be moral scrupulosity or something like that. I’ve been dealing with this thing where I feel like I have to “challenge” stuff mentally or verbally, like if I don’t say something out loud, it feels super uncomfortable. And the thoughts are about heavy stuff, like assault or deportation or just really morally loaded topics. My brain starts picking everything apart. It’s like I have to look at things fairly, and then I get trapped in all these little technicalities. For example, if someone gets assaulted, my brain fixates on stuff like “what was she wearing”even though I know how harmful that line of thinking is. That is exactly the kind of thing my mind zooms in on. It happens with a bunch of topics too, not just that. I feel like I have to give the benefit of the doubt to the aggressor or see “both sides,” and then I end up doubting the victim. And the worst part is, it feels like I truly believe these devil’s advocate thoughts. It feels so real. It’s like I become convinced that the victim might be lying or that there’s some justification for the harm, and I don’t like it. This even happens with my boyfriend and especially his family. I’ll catch my brain flipping narratives or making me question people I trust. this has been a “habit”for as long as I can remember but now it’s happening so much more. I cannot stop doubting. It feels like I’m siding with people who I should have no doubts to be against. I don’t know what to do or what kind of ERP would work for this. I don’t know how to change this. It’s been apart of me so long, it simply feels like me.

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