Does anyone have cheating ocd? Strategies to cope?

Check my phone for texts, ask girls in my phone book if I text them the previous night, ask people if I did anything stupid, ask my wife if she is there if I did anything stupid, etc.

@zsliwa Have you heard about Exposure and Response Prevention?

What percent of you is willing to start reducing compulsions?

Excellent. Did you and your doctor create a hierarchy?

A hierarchy is a list of exposure tasks organized from least to most difficult. It's also sometimes called a fear ladder

No, but I'm on Instagram, ocdillustrated.

Do you want to make one?

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Can we just talk on here?

@zsliwa No, I meant do you want to make a hierarchy

@NOCD Advocate - Katie What is that?

@zsliwa A hierarchy is a list of exposure tasks organized from least to most difficult. It's also sometimes called a fear ladder

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Wish I could privately message you what is going on!

@zsliwa That's not possible on this app unfortunately

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Is there a way on Instagram?

@zsliwa I should mention, if you're in the US in certain states, teletherapy is available through NOCD. That way you'd be talking to a therapist. It would be private

@NOCD Advocate - Katie I have an appointment Friday.

@NOCD Advocate - Katie What is a fear ladder?

@zsliwa Excellent ? let's change plans then. They're going to be a whole lot better at helping you make a fear ladder than I am. Let's just figure out how to get you through two more days

@NOCD Advocate - Katie I just had a real sickening thought.

@zsliwa Ok

@NOCD Advocate - Katie I hate it!

@zsliwa I bet! "Sickening" makes me think you find the thought pretty disgusting. OCD's pulling out it's Trump card

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Pedophile thoughts!

@zsliwa The social stigma really amps up the intensity of the distress

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Meaning?

@zsliwa Pedophilia fears are judged more harshly than contamination ones for example

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Yep

@NOCD Advocate - Katie I have them all! Pedophile, harm, cheating

@zsliwa That's a bunch of the unwanted/taboo thoughts symptoms. Would it help to know that they're all really one symptom category?

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Really?

@NOCD Advocate - Katie What about travel anxiety?

@zsliwa Yep. Statistically, OCD breaks down into four types: contamination, responsibility, taboo thoughts, and incompleteness

@NOCD Advocate - Katie What does that exactly mean?

@zsliwa It means that some symptoms clump together. People can have symptoms from multiple categories, but tend to have a bunch from one. When it comes down to it, all the fears you describe are unwanted thoughts. I don't like the "themes" because it makes it seem like people have a whole bunch of different problems when it's really all one thing

@NOCD Advocate - Katie OCD?

@zsliwa Yes

@NOCD Advocate - Katie I so want to get better! Are you better?

@zsliwa Much better than I was at my sickest. But not entirely well. O was maxing out at more than twelve hours a day of rituals. Now I'm at three or four

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Rituals?

@zsliwa Compulsions

@NOCD Advocate - Katie I want to get healthy!

@NOCD Advocate - Katie I am so frustrated!

@zsliwa And you've got an appointment on Friday. You're on your way

@NOCD Advocate - Katie How long will it take?

@zsliwa I don't know

@NOCD Advocate - Katie How long you been suffering?

@zsliwa Since elementary school

@NOCD Advocate - Katie How old are you?

@zsliwa Mid twenties

@NOCD Advocate - Katie That is a long time. Does it take up your day?

@NOCD Advocate - Katie You there?

@zsliwa It takes up a few hours. I'm sorry I can't continue this conversation indefinitely. I have to spread my time on the app out. It has been very nice talking with you ?

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Sorry

@zsliwa No need to apologize ?