started ERP this week and it hasn’t been easy. i think i’ve also started obsessing about trying to “practice my skills” correctly and burning myself out. not to mention, because i’ve been trying not to give into compulsions, my anxiety has just been at a constant for the last few days and i just need some relief. i just don’t know how to handle it
I can totally relate to this! All that matters is that you’re consistently practicing and a lot of that can come from just every day exposures. Give yourself grace and reward yourself for the hard exposures and don’t worry about taking a day off if you need to
Something that helped me during ERP was the phrase “maybe I did maybe I didn’t” or “maybe it is maybe it isn’t.” Maybe I did flirt with them maybe I didn’t. Maybe that is dirty maybe it’s not. Maybe I am a bad person maybe I’m not. Learning to accept not knowing every single thing helps your brain not get hooked on the thought. Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t, but I’m not going to obsess over it and try to find out.
@kenzie22 did you/do you ever feel like you don’t really believe those words though? like i can say them, but i don’t really FEEL like it’s true in the moment
Yes. I felt “stupid” at times. But it’s about not allowing OCD to stick to the thought. When you sit on the thought and then do a compulsion, your brain is getting what it wants, the calm after the storm. Your brain will send a storm because it knows you’ll calm it (compulse).And it feels good. After awhile, your brain might learn not to send the storm as hard at you because it’s no longer getting the calm afterwards. The storm is no longer working.
I just started yesterday and my anxiety is at a high. Hang in there know there’s other people like my self right there by you trying to get and feel better.
I still have thoughts, but I have retrained my brain not to get stuck on them. Not to compulse. The storm isn’t as heavy.
Well done challenging yourself to do ERP and not giving into your compulsions!! That’s huge! I’ve found self-compassion really helpful when I feel overwhelmed/anxious or beating myself up (because I’m not doing something perfectly). Self-compassion can look really different from person to person and situation to situation. One exercise I like to do is acknowledge my feeling and the difficulty, remind myself that there are others out there in the same boat, and then reminder myself to be kind. Ex: “this is really hard. And it’s okay that it’s hard. I am not alone. Many people struggle with feeling ______. Let’s be gentle with ourself while we experience this.” I also try to take care of myself like I would a friend or a child who is sick or is having a hard day. Maybe I give myself more rest time if possible or I try to take a walk or I make myself a cup of tea. Kimberly Quinlan and Kristin Kneff both have great resources on self-compassion. Hope something in there helps. I’m cheering you on! ❤️
In one ear and out the other, don’t let it knot up in your mind
@kenzie22 this is so helpful ❤️ it feels impossible right now to not get stuck in the loop but i’ll keep practicing 🙂
@celestialbee Talk with your therapist about this tactic if you have one. They will know more about how to properly implement this
I find while doing exposures, rarely does my anxiety lessen. It usually amps up and stays that way for the remainder of the day. I could be having a fairly decent day, but dutifully do my exposures and then the rest of my day is anxiety filled. I guess that’s just how it is now? Also, I’m wondering if my therapist even believes I have OCD. I totally understand my therapist cannot provide reassurance. But it’s to the point it seems my therapist acts like I actually did the thing I fear. I feel so isolated.
I’m trying to do ERP therapy, but I keep thinking my subtype of ocd is the worst there ever is. I tried going on a walk tonight and the adrenaline in my body along with the shakes and the burning in my chest got so overwhelming. I felt like I was just about to lay down in the gutter along the sidewalk. I’m not trying to be super negative. I just don’t know what to do anymore. If it’s not one thing it’s another and I just wanna cry so bad and I want it to go away but it won’t I almost feel like I have to call a crisis line or something even right now while I’m writing this I’m crying so bad. I can’t enjoy a single thing. I joined a support group tonight, but I just feel like I feel so bad for everyone because of how awful it is. I know what I’m writing right now doesn’t make a lot of sense but I just don’t know what to do anymore. Part of me wants to quit ERP therapy so bad cause I don’t think it’s gonna ever help. if anyone has any advice or suggestions, that would be greatly appreciated.
Anyone have any tips on not making ERP a compulsion? I find myself sometimes wanting to do exposures in order to make myself feel better (feel my anxiety go down and feel relief). 😅
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