- User type
- Therapist
- Date posted
- 5y
How do you approach ERP when most everthyting is compulsions? Maybe not an intrusive thought other than doing the compulsions. I have had OCD for 36 years. The compulsions are constant. No joke. How do I begin self therapy?
I meant 26 years. Sorry.
Hi Goofus, thank you for comment and question. If we were working together I would better understand what your obsessions and compulsions look like. It’s difficult through this part of the app to answer specific questions. What I could recommend is to keep track of your triggers, the self monitoring worksheet is helpful for this tracking. The theme of your triggers will show up rather quickly. That will help you move forward with any ERP exercises.
Hi Goofus. You can find the worksheet online just google self monitoring worksheet. That is what others have shared with me. Also you can sign up for services with a NOCD therapist right here on the app under Therapist. We would welcome you to NOCD.
There are different programs to pick from but you can start by making a free informational meeting with the care team in your state. You can do that right here on the app! It’s so easy to use. Just click on therapist and choose your state and it will prompt you to pick a day and time that works for you to do a free 15 minute informational session with someone who can best find the program you are looking for. I hope you will take advantage of this free session offered by NOCD. Even if you do not sign up, you will learn a lot about what the site has to offer. We use the first line treatment for OCD and statistics show our clients demonstrate over 43% improvement in symptoms. Good luck to you, I know you will do great! ? ?
Thank you!
Hi Terry123, thank you for your response. I have not used the app in a few days due to excessive compulsions. Where might I find the worksheet? What is the best way to contact you or another therapist who may be able to give me direction?
Thank you for your quick response. Is there a monetary cost associated with talking to you or one of your colleagues?
I had just posted a summary of ERP for a group member, and I thought it might be useful for everybody. Here it is below (with a little extra added)…. ERP therapy is researched-based. Most other therapies don’t work. There have been people who have been literally stuck in their houses (from their OCD) who gained their lives back through ERP therapy. NOCD does ERP therapy exclusively. You can find it in other places too, but you have to ask around. There are two tenants of ERP therapy: The first one has to do with the repetitive thoughts inside our heads. These thoughts are actually defined as “obsessions”. You are not supposed to do anything with the obsessions. You are supposed to let them run through your head freely, without trying to fix them or stop them. Imagine a tree planted by a river. The leaves fall off and float down the river. You can see the leaves falling, but you don’t try to stop them or pick them up. You don’t try to fix them. You just let them float away. This is really important to do with your obsessive thoughts. The more you try to fight them off, the worse they get. I used to have blasphemous sentences running in my head 24/7. I felt like I had to put a “not” next to each sentence in order to “fix” it. But this just took hours of my time every day, and it was very scary, because I was worried that if I messed up, that I would go to hell. It was very freeing to learn later that I could just let those sentences run freely through my head without trying to fix them. The second part of ERP therapy is all about “denying your compulsions.” Every time OCD tells you that if you don’t do things a certain way that something really bad will happen, that is a compulsion. Once you recognize what your compulsions are, ERP therapy will have you practice stopping doing all of those things. For some people, that will mean stopping washing their hands or touching lights switches or, in my case, putting “fixing” words in their head. Compulsions are safety behaviors. During ERP therapy, you will practice stopping engaging with safety behaviors. All this is very hard to do and scary, so during therapy you will be given tools to help you deal with the fear. Often ERP therapy will take people from being non-functional to functional. I highly recommend it. ————————————————- PITFALL #1: After you have been doing ERP for a while and become somewhat successful, the OCD will try subtle little tricks to bring you down again. The first one is to tell you that your thoughts are REAL and not OCD, and therefore you can’t apply ERP therapy. Don’t fall for this trick! All thoughts are just thoughts. They are all meaningless. Don’t try to figure out what is real and what is OCD. Just treat all thoughts with ERP therapy. PITFALL #2: The second pitfall is that OCD will tell you that you can’t move forward unless you have absolute certainty that you will be safe. Hate to tell you this, folks, but there is no certainty in life. You will never know for SURE that you or your loved ones will be “safe” from the OCD rules. Therefore, you have to move forward in the uncertainty. It’s hard, but it gets easier with time and practice. We got this, guys !!!!!!
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
A few hours ago I had my first ERP session and I am currently feeling nauseous and nervous at the same time. Right after my first exposure I wanted to quit right then and there, but I know I cannot. Does anyone have any tips for sitting with this level of discomfort? Anything is appreciated. Thanks! :-)
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