When I listen to success stories and podcasts of people saying they manage it better I don’t know why my mind says “you could never do that” “your ocd is worse and different” “you are stuck like this” so I try to listen to podcasts of people overcoming their worst fears and it makes me sad and anxious but I feel like it could be erp?

Anxiousashley

Date posted: 5y

I also feel the same way sometimes. I feel like my OCD is ‘different’ or ‘worse’ and it won’t ever get better

Fathomable

Date posted: 5y

Well, I think that most of us get thoughts like this sometimes. If you have POCD it feels like the worst because it's the biggest stigma imaginable and causes so much shame. If it's HOCD, it feels so bad because it seems to threaten to take away your future, which is akin to murdering you. If you have real event/guilt/false memory OCDs, the other OCDs seem totally trivial because you've got stuff in real life which you can point to as a basis for how much more threatening and solid the thing you fear is. It always feels like if your fear was true, your life would be over. I've found it actually helps me to go over all the ways that things could still be good if my fear came true/was true. Maybe rock bottom would even allow me to build a life from the ashes.

Fathomable

Date posted: 5y

Actually it sounds like listening to those podcasts *could* also be a compulsion, as you may also listen to them in hopes that they give you reassurance that you can get better. Especially if you tend to listen to them at times when you're having anxious thoughts about how bad your OCD is. Perhaps there are better ways to trigger those fears of never getting better so that you can do ERP with them.

sometimer01

Date posted: 5y

HOCD is the end of me

Nova2025

Date posted: 21w

OCD with the news

Curious.... the news has been terribly distressing for me and has stirred up OCD. Compulsive rumination and checking (news stories) are my go-to when OCD is triggered. Today, I purposely did not listen to my news podcast as I do every morning. I feel better-ish. Is this avoidance, or is this self care? Would continuing to listen to a podcast be exposure with response prevention applied to the compulsions that go with it? Thanks in advance!

TrustGod24

Date posted: 19w

ERP

I’m thinking about doing erp but my ocd is so severe the thought of accepting my fears happening to me makes me sick to my stomach. I also believe in the power of my words and saying I accept this Bad thing will attract it into my life. I’m not sure what I should do🥲

hbocd

Date posted: 18w

ERP Therapy

I read about ERP and have seen information about it on here. One of the goals is to say, "maybe I am this or that...ect." That terrified me. The thoughts and images that go in my head are disturbing and upsetting. I don't want to even think about saying, "maybe this or that." It's devasting to have these thoughts and question why you're having these thoughts. Doesn't the "maybe" make it worse? The one thing that helps me is that is to remind myself that these are just thoughts and I know I'm not a monster, even if I feel like one. Is ERP not for everyone? Has anyone else had a problem with the techniques used in this kind of therapy? I had cognitive therapy for years with an OCD specialist and that seemed to help a lot. Writing out the worst case scenarios would make me suicidal. Im having a difficult time not obsessing over the "maybe" after intrusive thoughts now. It doesn't make it better.

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