OCD won’t let me engage with therapy

Hi everyone. I’ve been dealing with OCD most of my life but was only diagnosed last year - doctors had always told me I had GAD/depression. But I saw a post on NOCD about decision making OCD and for the first time I felt seen. The agonising over decisions, the constant reassurance seeking…Anyway I want to do ERP but my OCD questions every decision around therapy. Perhaps it’s partly from the trauma of seeing so many therapists who didn’t really help me (because I wasn’t diagnosed). But even though I finally found a good ERP therapist my OCD kept questioning him. What if he was the wrong one? He doesn’t do cognitive restructuring - maybe it won’t work? Will he incorporate ACT as well as CBT? Maybe there’s someone better/more qualified (cue googling other therapists). Anyway it got so bad I had to stop seeing him. My psychiatrist recommended I refrain from therapy until my new medicine (clomipramine) fully kicks in. Anyway, I’m so obsessed with choosing the right therapist that I can’t choose any. Just wondering if anyone has had similar experiences or tips on how to manage the obsession?

HRG

Date posted: 2d

You don’t have to get it perfectly right the first time. Don’t overthink it and let it be who you choose. There is a button on the app to allow you to change your therapist if needed. But giving them a fair chance is good first

HRG

Date posted: 2d

@HRG My ocd subtype is different in that I overly like and think and depend on my therapist. Not in reality but my ocd brain does that. But this place is so supportive

changeisgood?

Date posted: 2d

Tips: trust yourself. It’s ok to change your mind. Just make sure the decisions are coming from you and not from OCD or fear.

changeisgood?

Date posted: 2d

@changeisgood? Oh! And sometimes you won’t know if it’s you who’s deciding or OCD. Oh well, nothings perfect, just go with a decision to start things off and then if you need to change your mind, that’s allowed!

Tea and Honey

Date posted: Yesterday

You need to apply ERP therapy to your visits to the therapist. Lol, that sounds very funny, but it's true. First thing first, ERP is awesome and super effective. A lot of the other therapies don't work. Based on your current struggles, I think you would benefit the most from ERP. So, you need to throw away perfection here, and just decide to do ERP therapy (because it will help you). Even if you think the other types of therapies might also help you or even might be better for you, you need to make the DECISION that you are going to do ERP for right now. Now.... where you do find a therapist? You could go back to your old one, or you could just go through NOCD. NOCD is awesome!!! I've done it twice, and I'm currently signed up for it again. All the therapists are trained in ERP (which is research-based and very effective). All the sessions are over Zoom, and they take most insurance. Here's a link to get you started, if you are interested. https://home.treatmyocd.com/calendar ------------------------------- Next, we know that the OCD is preventing you from doing something that you want to do (namely, therapy). So now is the time to apply ERP to that situation. What does that look like? That means that you... 1.) Identify that seeing a therapist is a trigger (which you have already done) 2.) Deny yourself the compulsion (which means that you see the therapist anyway, even if your OCD is screaming at you that you should not do that). 3.) Ride out the terrible emotions and anxiety that happens when you deny the compulsions. This anxiety is like a wave. It will crest at a high point, but then it will eventually subside on its own. 4.) Repeat, repeat, repeat, while you continue to see the ERP therapist for weeks and months at a time!!!!! You can do this!!! Therapy can make a HUGE difference in your life. It can make the difference between many of us being functional or non-functional. Is a grant-changer. So go make it happen!!!!! Let me know if you want to talk about this :):):)

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