Jyg314
- Date posted
- Yesterday
Curious on thoughts on therapy
Were you able to overcome OCD without ERP?
Tea and HoneyTea and Honey
- Date posted
- Yesterday
I think ERP is really effective. A lot of times the other therapies don't work
AnonymousAnonymous
- Date posted
- Yesterday
Absolutly, It is the best thing I have ever done. I have had OCD since 12. I started thearpy a year ago and I know longer have OCD or habits as I call them and no longer need medication. It is a life changer. I will not say it was easy. It takes work , but what a difference it makes.
Amy B. Amy B.
- Date posted
- Yesterday
I tried to get my OCD under control on my own for 25 years, about 8 years of that I did talk therapy and I also did an online, self paced ERP course. None of that worked. I just started with a NOCD therapist doing ERP and just the little bit we've done so far has helped me so much. I just wish I would have started this sooner.
bluebird27bluebird27
- Date posted
- 20h
I've thought about it but what I fear (and have experienced) is that treating my own OCD forms new compulsions!
Kevin VKevin V
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 18h
Maybe you will form new compulsions. But you can handle that. The appearance of new compulsions is something that can be overcome in time.
bluebird27bluebird27
- Date posted
- 18h
@Kevin V I mean doing erp without therapist guidance :)
Kevin VKevin V
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 16h
@bluebird27 Yes. What I said still stands.
Kevin VKevin V
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- Yesterday
You can overcome OCD without a therapist, but in that case, you would need to do ERP yourself. If you don't face your thoughts, your mind is still going to view your obsessions as signs of real danger.
Jyg314Jyg314
- Date posted
- Yesterday
@Kevin V how would you do erp on your own if you don’t mind me asking?
Kevin VKevin V
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- Yesterday
@Jyg314 You would look at your obsessions, the compulsions that you do as a result of those obsessions, the feared outcomes about those obsessions, and build a heirarchy, where the less distressing obsessions are towards the bottom, and the more distressing ones are towards the top. You start to doing exposures for the lower obsessions, and eventually work your way up to the more distressing ones. Doing ERP by yourself is very difficult, as you have to keep yourself motivated and focused on continuing to do the exposures, which can be tough when you first start doing them. I did some self-ERP for a while, but after I started therapy, I found it easier to have a therapist help me, as I often ended up falling into compulsions a lot without someone else to keep me accountable.
Jyg314Jyg314
- Date posted
- 19h
@Kevin V I see I tried for a bit on my own but then I got a bad spiral a week later and it totally threw me off from it but then my ocd worsened
Kevin VKevin V
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 19h
@Jyg314 Your OCD getting worse when you start ERP is to be expected, as you are denying the reassurance that your brain has gotten used to, so it's going like, "But wait, where is my reassurance? You forgot the reassurance! Why aren't you reassuring me?!" and so it makes you more stressed out. You can continue doing ERP even through that. You don't have to start big, just with the small stuff at first, and over time you can get used to it.
Jyg314Jyg314
- Date posted
- 18h
@Kevin V Maybe I rushed it because I did slowly build it up but my erp didn’t feel too intense like it was just more of a natural thing that I didn’t really think much about before and just jumped into it
Kevin VKevin V
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 18h
@Jyg314 As long as you are willing to handle the heightened anxiety and discomfort that results from that, you can move up the heirarchy as you please.
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