Just put my clothes in the dryer and my mind said "You need to put extra cups of laundry detergent in the dryer because it'd make you uncomfortable. Do it as an exposure." I tried to tell myself that I didn't need to do that, that I'm allowed to wash my clothes normally, but now I can't stop thinking about what if I followed through with my initial, intrusive thought. This is awful. What would ERP say to do?

I didn't take a screenshot but I think this is a twisty form of reassurance seeking. The poster posted earlier today, he has an OCD fear of having too much detergent in his clothes and knows that the ERP treatment is to deliberately put too much and not check. Now he has twisted it completely backwards and framed the recommended ERP as if it's the intrusive thought. I know self pressure to do exposures CAN become intrusive thoughts, but this post is totally bizarre in context.

In his last post he said he has OCD about too much detergent in his clothes and was asking about whether after washing them with too much detergent as exposure, he was allowed to wash it straight back off again.

I hear Louws point. I've answered similar questions multiple times. Perhaps we can help you resist the urge to get reassurance by agreeing not to respond.

I think I get it. But wouldn't ERP to deal with ERP-intrusive thoughts just be to not do any ERP for a while?

@Louw My understanding is this. Canigetawitness1992, let me know if this fits with what is happening. You're feeling comfortable, and then have the intrusive thought "omg, I'm supposed to be doing ERP. I should make myself feel uncomfortable." Then your distress is some kind of doubt about what you should do, because you know what OCD suggested was ridiculous. Your compulsion appears to be posting to ask what we think you should do. I'm guessing ruminating as well. You get temporary relief from the doubt, but then the cycle starts again. Ironically, Louw's suggestion of not doing ERP is on point. In this case, the exposure is to do normal stuff, and the response prevention is to go "nope, I'm not doing ERP right now". Or "maybe I should do ERP, maybe not, who cares. I'm saving my money, laundry detergent, etc.' essentially, just do stuff like normal. You're going to feel anxious. You're going to feel like you're doing ERP wrong and won't recover. That's the new distress to get comfy with

@NOCD Advocate - Katie You know what, my OCDs are really unpleasant when they flare up but I thank my lucky stars that I don't have any meta-OCDs, like this one or the fear that I don't really have OCD after all.

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Oh, this helps a lot, I was struggling with the same thing. Like obsessing if I’m doing ERP wrong or if I should be trying to make myself uncomfortable about unrelated things all the time. I didn’t realize that could become an OCD theme of itself. ? Thank you!

@WeCanDoThis You're very welcome. OCD gets super sneaky sometimes

Ok. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful. I hope you can get a therapist to help you sort it out

@NOCD Advocate - Katie I've tried multiple ERP therapists. I just want to give up. The anxiety isn't getting better at all. Only worse

@canigetawitness1992 At the end of the day "don't act weird" is usually pretty solid advice. That's what my therapist in residential told me to do when I was obsessing over whether I was doing exposures properly. Ten years later, it's still a rule of thumb that serves me well.

@canigetawitness1992 Have you considered any more intensive programs like partial hospitalization or residential?

ERP doesn't. Your OCD does

@NOCD Advocate - Katie It's OCD just wearing a mask of "I'm ERP"

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Like Louw and I said, I think your exposure is to quit doing exposures. And let whatever feelings happen

@NOCD Advocate - Katie I'm not trying to be difficult, but that goes over my head. To quit doing therapy in order to get better. It doesn't add up.

@canigetawitness1992 Maybe you could try ACT instead. And believe me, I don't think YOU'RE bring difficult, I think your OCD is being difficult. Anyway, if what you're doing isn't working, try something different. That's a general life principle.

@NOCD Advocate - Katie I might try that. Thanks for your help.

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Ultimately, I won't to be able to do things on my terms. Take usual showers, wash clothes normally, etc. Where problems start is that ERP is the opposite of this. It's almost like how can I move forward when I'm supposed to be making myself anxious?

@canigetawitness1992 Want*

@canigetawitness1992 Can I reframe ERP?

@NOCD Advocate - Katie I try to, but usually end up in more doubt about how far to push myself, what I need to habituate to, where my anxiety level should be on certain activities. Response Prevention makes sense to me. Sitting with the anxiety makes sense too. It's the Exposure part where so much confusion & worries are sprouting from.

@canigetawitness1992 So, it sounds like you think the point of ERP is to CREATE distress so that you can get used to it. And that's often what exposures look like on the surface. But the real goal is to EXPERIENCE distress that is already in your life and learn to respond in a helpful, healthy way. Sitting with discomfort and response prevention are where the brain change happens anyways.

@NOCD Advocate - Katie This makes sense and I've thought about it this way too. I guess my mind is telling me I need to create distress for the sake of Exposure. Like, if anything bothers me at all, even generally, I need to habituate to it.

@canigetawitness1992 Your OCD is telling you that, yes. So now your job post to apply response prevention by acting normal and not ruminating about it.

@NOCD Advocate - Katie I'll try to put that into practice. Thanks for your support today Katie.

@canigetawitness1992 Ok :) may I ask a favor? Bookmark this thread for yourself. If you ask a question like this again, I'm going to say to reread this. I can't control what other people will tell you, but I'm not going to be part of your compulsion

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Ok, I'll do that.

I'm confused about why you were asking whether you can wash it off again afterwards.