- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
If the message was “don’t worry, you are not going to jump off the building”. Then you would probably deal with it at that time. By saying you might, it is harder and you face the fears and the uncertainty. You don’t shut the emotions down, you challenge them. I don’t know if this helps?
- Date posted
- 6y
Is this a exposure that you are doing? If you find it too hard, start with something smaller like just walking up to a high level and back down again... or are giving this as just a example of how exposure works?
- Date posted
- 6y
@Benica. Thank you for reply. I am trying to overcome my obsession of jumping off a high floor (of course I don’t want to). It’s that my mind can’t figure it out and keeps sending me questions like what if I lose control? When I am at a high floor, I don’t know what to do with this thought, and I feel like I can do it next minute and it scares the hell out of me. I am trying to do exposure on my own, but just don’t know how to. Some theories make me feel confused.
- Date posted
- 6y
Also... you won’t ever jump off, you just are afraid you will....so challenging your fears will eventually allow you to see that for yourself.
- Date posted
- 6y
Yes I am scared and I cannot stay near an open window for years. Although I kinda of overcame some fears like holding a knife. Sometimes my mind automatically wonders why I am afraid of this but not afraid of that. You know, analyzing and comparing thoughts in an attempt to figure out. Of course, this attempt fails.
- Date posted
- 6y
Hi Serena. A good example of an exposure for you would be standing on a balcony, feeling the anxiety come, feeling those “what if” questions come, yet remaining on the balcony despite your anxiety. It will be difficult at first, but after repeated exposure, your fear should start to subside gradually.
- Date posted
- 6y
It is also important that you don’t try to reassure yourself that you won’t do it while you’re standing on the balcony. This is a mental compulsion that will make you feel better temporarily, but will lessen the effectiveness of the exposure overall
- Date posted
- 6y
@Francis yup. This is the part which confuses me most. Of course, when I have the thought of jumping a building, I would say no of course I don’t want to do that. And ERP asks me to say that I probably want? That’s weird.
- Date posted
- 6y
I have ups and downs. I felt quite better in the past 2 years. But I guess I never really recovered cuz I am always afraid of painful moments I experienced before, and now am kinda in a relapse and it’s even harder than before. Lots of new themes combined together. Gosh, I know I need to do the hard work. I just don’t know how to do ERP on my own and want to find a therapist via Skype. Hope I can afford that.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 24w
Hi! Does anyone experience guilt about doing exposures? Like if my OCD is right and now I’m going to get possessed or cause this terrible thing to happen it will be my fault. And also prove that my brain DOES have that power which is so scary. I just did an exposure and I feel so worried about my fears coming true and the people I love (& me) getting hurt because of it. How do you get past this? It feels like I shouldn’t do exposures because it’s selfish.
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- Date posted
- 23w
Hi! I was given exposure HW that I chose to do by my therapist but lately I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by it and thinking that maybe I need to start with an easier exposure. However I can only see my therapist every other week due to her schedule and I’m really having a hard time feeling like I’m not following the “rules” of therapy. I feel like she’s not going to help me if I don’t do the exposures and that I’m gonna be all alone again and have no where to turn. So, part of me was gonna just force myself to do the exposure to avoid feeling bad. I don’t want to let OCD run the show also by not doing the exposure…but also feeling like doing the exposure is not quite right either. Please if anyone can relate I could really use some help.
- Date posted
- 22w
Hi! I've been on my OCD healing journey for about half a year and I have seen a lot of success. I'm reaching out for advice, I am very willing to do exposures because I know the more I do them, the more I get better, but I struggle with the response prevention part. I don't know how to control my brain when it comes to facing the fears especially since most of my compulsions are mental. I can tell myself the typical things "I am okay with the uncertainty of this happening", etc. but its like my brain doesn't believe them. I've been stuck in this disconnect for a while and would love advice you have heard from a therapist or learned that has really help you.
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