Is this how im meant to feel?

I started ERP around 2 months ago with only recently getting into properly testing it out. My last session with my therapist was AWFUL. I have experienced lots of different sub types of ocd but the one most prevalent is harm ocd. In my session my therapist had me constantly repeating an intrusive thoughts out loud saying it over and over and over again. He explained this causes anxiety to peak as most people with ocd believe that if they say something out loud its even more likely to be real. Then after saying it for a long period over and over you start to release the outcome doesn't change just because you say something it doesn't mean it's true. I honestly felt traumatised and have put of my last 2 sessions. Is this normal normal? To feel like this ? And test ERP in this way as this is coming from someone who has never done it before just heard its highly successful

Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 6d

Keep going, it works. I’ve been there

Jude E.B.

Date posted: 6d

My therapist taught me to say “Maybe it is. Maybe it’s not.” After the intrusive thoughts. That’s the Reponse part of ERP that reduces the anxiety. “Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t.” The anxiety is the exposure. OCD doesn’t like uncertainty. The response is the uncertainty. Hope this helps.

DadPerry

Date posted: 5d

Yes, ERP is quite distressing for me at times too. Even though I’ve written some scenarios, by reading them out loud or recording myself and just listening to it over and over again, it hits a little differently. I’m able to just listen to the words and focus on the feelings and my anxiety level gets higher. I get that it is difficult to just turn off your anxiety at the end of ERP as if there was just a light switch we could flick down and the anxiety goes away instantly. Well, hell, if that was an option, I think we would just flick that switch down and leave it off forever.🤣 I guess I’m here to acknowledge that ERP can sometimes be very difficult and have some after session residual feelings as I’ve had the same. Do stick with it, though as ERP has really helped me. Hopefully it will help you as well.

Mackenzie - ...

User type: Staff

Date posted: 14h

Hi! Thanks so much for reaching out. Exposure Response Prevention therapy teaches us to confront our obsessions and sit with the discomfort we feel around them. Then, we learn to resist the urge to do compulsions. It's customized for each person and their unique needs, but here's how ERP generally works: After asking you about your specific symptoms, a trained therapist who specializes in OCD creates your ERP therapy plan. Based on that, you'll work together to rank your fears or triggers based on how stressful they seem—this way, you can gain coping skills gradually without getting overwhelmed.

Cher54

Date posted: 10h

Well I haven’t had ERP therapy but there’s no way I would record myself saying an awful thought about murder or something along that line over and over and over or continuously saying it obsessively. But hey if it works for all these people on here then that’s great! But the Bible says to think on good things and to cast our imaginations down. It’s like if a person plays video games that are violent over and over, then they go out and do something awful. Anyway, that’s just my opinion. I’m not a professional, just my thoughts.

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Share your thoughts so the Community can respond