- User type
- Therapist
- Date posted
- 5y ago
Hi and thanks for all the info and the support. I am currently trying this approach that you describe, to overcome it without medications. A few years ago I manage to lessen my anxiety with some kind of exposures but I was also in meds. Now I try without meds along with the help of a CBT therapists but the truth is that at the moment every single exposure or trigger takes me to anxiety crisis, and I feel that I go backwards in my recovery instead of forward. Unfortunately my therapist is closed because of Covid 19, and I was wondering if they will be NOCD therapists available for people that are outside USA, or if you can recommend for us, generally in the app, specialists in OCD that can help us through online sessions globally. I know form a fact that in many countries it’s very difficult to find a therapist that is specialized in OCD and sometimes it can be very difficult to get the right help. Thank you for all the info and the support tha we take from this app.
I have contamination OCD that causes me to excessively wash my hands/clean items with disinfectant wipes. I know I just need to start with small exposures but how do I do that without spiraling? I tried a while back by just touching the outside of my dishwasher and not washing my hands after and it led to me being unable to even exist in my house. I basically lived on my couch for three weeks as it was the only 'safe' space that I had not touched with my dirty hands. I had to take a week off work to clean my house to make it somewhat liveable. I still haven't got round to cleaning everything though so things like my kitchen are still no-go zones that I don't enter. I just don't know how to start ERP without it making everything worse. Any advice would be appreciated. I am not seeing a therapist at the moment due to financial constraints.
Hi everyone. I'm feeling kinda scared because I have to wait a whole month to start ERP therapy, but I feel like I need to start doing exposures now because the longer I wait, the more anxiety I get. It just feels like the OCD monster is getting worse. One thing that helps me is asking one person about an obsession I have...asking a person that I trust, and then doing an exposure after I get the "ok" to do it. I feel like I do need 1 reassurance and then I can go ahead and do it. I know i'm not supposed to ask for reassurance at all, but i dont think you're supposed to do ERP on your own right? Does anyone have any suggestions for what to do while waiting for therapy? PS-the reason there is a wait is bc she's on vacation. After she's back we will meet regularly.
Should I start therapy? What if I say something that they think is odd, strange, illegal, etc.? What if they tell me it is not OCD? These are just a small handful of the things that I have heard from people who are worried about starting therapy. And, it is unfortunate that these types of questions, and the fear of their answers, keep people suffering. If you have these questions, I want to know about them. I hope that you will gain some insight and inspiration to take that step and try out NOCD ERP for your OCD. So, let me hear from you and let's overcome these fears together. Ask me Anything in the comments below.
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