I don't understand ERP. How is it logical? I can sit with my hand in a toilet all day & I refuse to habituate to it. I don't even have contamination fears & that's nasty. Making a picture hanging on the wall crooked on purpose? Why? I prefer my pictures to hang straight. I wouldn't habituate to a crooked picture.... Lick the bottom of your tennis shoe? Ew. Not gonna habituate to that either. Curse God out with curse words? Don't care to do that & I'm not even religious. So, how does ERP work? I don't get it.

Date posted: 6y

Could you please repost this in comment here. For some reason, it is not showing completely

David Lebowitz

Date posted: 6y

Habituation means that something that caused you anxiety ceases to cause you anxiety because you get used to it. If you have contamination fears and feel contaminated by toilet seats and you touch a toilet seat for a long time, over and over, eventually touching a toilet won't make you feel gross. If you don't believe it will work then maybe you should try it out yourself instead of assuming it won't work.

canigetawitn...

Date posted: 6y

Ok, but I don't even have contamination fears. However, if I go into a public bathroom, that's dirty & nasty & I touch that toilet seat with my bare hands, you can guarantee I'm going to wash my hands. The rational reality is that's gross. This is the problem with exposure. It logically makes no sense. I refuse for myself to think a dirty, public restroom is sparkly clean, healthy & free from being gross. Wtf.

canigetawitn...

Date posted: 6y

Would you rather eat your food off a plate or the raw floor? Seriously, as a human being, which would you pick? I'd be the plate.

David Lebowitz

Date posted: 6y

If you don't have contamination obsessions then you don't need to expose yourself to these things. I really don't understand what your point is. You only need to expose yourself to things that you have irrational and excessive fears of.

Patrick McGrath

User type: Therapist

Date posted: 18w

What's been the biggest surprise from ERP?

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) isn't always easy, but as one of the most effective treatments for OCD, it's worth it. If you've started ERP, what has been the biggest surprise you've experienced in learning to resist compulsions? If you haven't started ERP yet, what is holding you back from starting?

TrustGod24

Date posted: 9w

ERP

I’m thinking about doing erp but my ocd is so severe the thought of accepting my fears happening to me makes me sick to my stomach. I also believe in the power of my words and saying I accept this Bad thing will attract it into my life. I’m not sure what I should do🥲

hbocd

Date posted: 8w

ERP Therapy

I read about ERP and have seen information about it on here. One of the goals is to say, "maybe I am this or that...ect." That terrified me. The thoughts and images that go in my head are disturbing and upsetting. I don't want to even think about saying, "maybe this or that." It's devasting to have these thoughts and question why you're having these thoughts. Doesn't the "maybe" make it worse? The one thing that helps me is that is to remind myself that these are just thoughts and I know I'm not a monster, even if I feel like one. Is ERP not for everyone? Has anyone else had a problem with the techniques used in this kind of therapy? I had cognitive therapy for years with an OCD specialist and that seemed to help a lot. Writing out the worst case scenarios would make me suicidal. Im having a difficult time not obsessing over the "maybe" after intrusive thoughts now. It doesn't make it better.

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