- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
I think different therapies could work! Talking back your ocd can be helpful. Like if you think maybe I’ll kill my parents, you could say out of all the opportunities I’ve had to do it, I haven’t. That could turn into a compulsion though so be careful! Sometimes I’ll talk back to my thoughts by saying whatever or yeah right or I know this is just OCD, but I say different things to make sure it won’t be a compulsion and I don’t do it all the time. I think the thing that helped me most is accepting uncertainty and accepting that thoughts are just thoughts. I just think of it like “I don’t care” because really, I shouldn’t care! ERP may not be right for everyone, if you think something else will work better go for it! The thing is though, is that OCD makes zero sense! Our immediate response to the thoughts is fear and that tells our brains that it’s important when it isn’t. The only reason it seems so important is because we react to it. You’re not accepting that there is a 50/50 chance you will kill your parents, you’re just accepting that there are infinite possibilities and the chance is just greater than absolute zero.
- Date posted
- 6y
@0823 thank you for your reply.
- Date posted
- 6y
ERP works super well for me, but I understand it may not be for everyone (however I think everyone should try it, and stick at it for a good portion of time - you don’t know till you try) I think the secret is finding something that works and sticking with it, not constantly changing your mind about how to tackle it. Anything we try, be it CBT, ACT, medication or ERP, takes a long time to really work
- Date posted
- 6y
I hope that all made sense!
Related posts
- Date posted
- 18w
What ERP or other techniques do you use to combat fear of cancelation? Especially curious about those with taboo thoughts, false memory ocd and event ocd based off of real events where the fear of cancellation may actually hold some validity. I once did my own ERP not under a therapist but just on my own I decided to create an anonymous account on Twitter and defend a friend who was receiving online criticism. I knew that this would be semi-controversial so I was expecting backlash and when I recieved troll replies it actually seemed to be a really helpful low-stakes exposure activity. Is this something that others have done? Low stakes online posts etc. that you know will recieve negative responses? I have had severe OCD as a kid as pretty much every subtype under the sun, and as an adult I pretty much have all the types under control except for this real event and false memory and taboo thought OCD. It seems like a different beast since it's somewhat realistic in the camcellation culture today, and it's confusing to address. Ive shut down almost all social accounts and it's keeping me from progressing in a career where I need to have an online presence :/
- User type
- Therapist
- Date posted
- 18w
So you got to ask me anything… Now I’d like to ask you something! I’ve heard from Members that they were so scared coming to their first ERP session. They were terrified that I would think they were crazy, that I would tell them their worst fears were true. That I would confirm they are some form of a terrible person or have them hauled off to prison for their thoughts. I’ve also had Members share how they’re very scared to begin ERP treatment because they’ve researched enough to know it means facing the fear, without the compulsions that have kept them feeling safe (but not really safe) this entire time. They struggled to see how they could be capable of doing this, while simultaneously acknowledging that they did not want to live like this anymore. If you have had your first session, what were your thoughts before? Did you have any hesitations or fears going into it? How did it turn out? If you haven’t yet begun to work with an ERP specialist, what is holding you back?
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 14w
I used to get caught in a loop with existential thoughts very frequently. Every question made my stomach drop: (TW: existential questions) … … ... "Why does anything exist at all? What will death be like? Is anything even real? Is there any meaning to this? Is the universe infinitely big, and if not, what's beyond it? Are there multiverses? Has the universe been around forever? Will the universe end for good, or will it keep going forever? What is forever like? What even IS reality?" It would get so overwhelming that I remember lying on the floor in a fetal position for hours because I felt like there was no escape. I spent most of my days reading articles and watching videos about theoretical astrophysics and philosophy in a desperate attempt to "figure it all out." Of course that only made me more anxious, raised more questions, and kept me trapped in the cycle. Things started to improve once I learned to turn TOWARD reality, rather than away from it, and ERP really helped me do that. I learned that these questions weren't the problem. I learned that I can actually handle the anxiety that arises when exposed to these ideas and concepts. I don't have to figure anything out to make the anxiety go away; it arises and passes away on its own. Ironically, bringing myself into the present moment and becoming more aware of reality helped me escape the cycle of existential dread. Because of that, this topic no longer takes over my life. If I'm triggered by something I see, hear, or think, I may still feel a little twang of anxiety, but then it just goes away. "Maybe, maybe not" has been the single most useful phrase of my life. Do you ever get trapped in a cycle of existential questions? Are you worried that the ERP approach would be too scary to handle? If so, I'm happy to give my advice.
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