sorry I‘m seriously annoyed by the narrow minded propaganda for ERP as the „gold standard“ and only way to go on this app. As if there were no reports of individuals where it didn‘t help! As if those have not even been on this app!! Another round of experts telling us poor suffering individuals what to do and whom to follow. When in former times psychoanalysis ruled it was no less exclusive. I‘m not dependend on experts telling me what is working and what not and what is right and wrong. Who else than YOU can judge what is good for you at the end of the day?? If you‘d just allow all the people out there reporting how they have suffered from taking SSRIs, for instance, you‘d get a bigger picture, but you don‘t. This app repeats the same over and over: ERP and SSRIs. For those who are „triggered“ by what I write: getting better also means enabling yourself to hear different versions instead of creating a false security by trusting one method and the todays experts which by pure historic accident are the behaviorists. Rant off. And sleep well.

I'm curious what you suggest instead? If you've got articles by experts suggesting something else, I'd love to read them. I know ACT is gaining traction as an add on therapy to ERP

@Greenwhale: I‘m sure „accepting uncertainty“ in respect to our thoughts/ obsessions can help, though I see this as a temporarily measure.

@Katie: for instance it helped me great deal to recognise that between some of my horrible thoughts there are real emotions like rage and anger and starting to deal with it as well as finding meaning. Thinking about what has to be changed about my life, my relationships. This goes against the repeated phrase that obsessive thoughts „have no meaning“. And I don‘t need experts to confirm my findings. But if you want, it is the basic thought in non-violent communication after Marshall Rosenberg: that behind every human action (if you take a thought as an action) there is a need. I‘m on the path to ask what has to be done to meet those needs in a good way. Another thing also some „experts“ say: the biological modell of depression and anxiety is a hypothesis that has bever been proven, while it is about lost connections, loneliness, and very often poverty. See for instance Johann Hari on TED talks.

*behind some of my horrible thoughts

I see. Practically I treat the intrusive thoughts much as is advised here. But: I don‘t believe in „no meaning“ but that also those are connected to my family history and my own story. And here lies a hope for me to really overcome it...