22masons
- Date posted
- 5y
ThreeLittleBirdsThreeLittleB...
- Date posted
- 5y
Erp is essentially exposing a person to a trigger until they’re no longer getting panic responses, not to convince themselves that the content is NOT dangerous or bad. For instance i wouldn’t look at a picture of a knife and think like hey that’s awesome I’m fine with it, but I will look at it until my brain no longer sends panic signals. I still hold on to my values with erp. But pleeeeeeeeeeease do not start with the scariest thing first. Start with small stuff like the color red if you get nervous around that color wear a red shirt. That’s how I’ve been treating my ocd very very small exposures until my brain stops alarming.
22masons22masons
- Date posted
- 5y
Awesome!! thank you!
jcplunkjcplunk
- Date posted
- 5y
Yes. Usually if you expose yourself to something and it gives you anxiety, that means that the exposure is working. You just have to push through until it doesn’t bother you anymore. It may take a while, but you will get through it.
pureolifepureolife
- Date posted
- 5y
That would be a great ERP exercise for you! But only if you know how to approach it correctly. For example, don’t flood yourself, ie don’t spend a whole day overwhelming yourself with the music. Instead, try listening for 1 min each day for a week, then a full song for a week, then 2 songs, then an album. It’s easier if you listen to the same songs each time, harder if they’re new. When you listen to them, do not engage in any compulsions, mental or otherwise. Don’t ruminate about the thoughts, try to “figure them out”, cancel them out, seek reassurance, research online, etc. sit with the anxiety it causes and just move on with your day each time.
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Monkeybrain842
- Date posted
- 24w
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
NotThatHardcore
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 24w
How are y'all challenging your OCD today?
Earlier today I did some pretty high-level contamination exposure, inspired by my therapist, and now I'm listening to a triggering song on repeat — the very song that kicked off my first serious bout of OCD in high school. There is a part of my brain that is telling me I can't handle the song and that I should find a compulsion to do, but my goal is to have it in the background while I go about my self-care tasks. I'm already starting to get used to it 💪 How are y'all challenging your OCD today?
Anonymous
- Date posted
- 22w
Need advice plz ❤️
So for as long as I’ve been alive I’ve loved horror/ thriller movies and books. I really only enjoy reading thriller books. Since my harm ocd hit I have slowly started back reading thriller again, but I have to check for triggers before each one I read. There’s been a few books that I was really loving that I had to stop reading because something that would trigger my ocd would come up ( my theme is going crazy becoming dangerous , schizophrenia etc ) so if a character in a book starts hearing voices or something, I get so anxious. I want to be able to read and watch horror / thrillers again. Do I simply need to just continue reading / watching and sit with the anxiety?
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