Long post coming up! Newbie here and also new to ERP. I debated a long time before posting this because it sounds like a really privileged problem compared to what some people here are going through. But ruminating about it is taking up so much of my time now that it's hard for me to function properly. I was wondering if I could get some insights. So, my ocd seems to revolve around the themes "just right", scrupulosity and mental contamination. This makes it hard for me to enjoy life, and to allow myself to have nice things (both physical objects and experiences). I always feel like I don't deserve it, and then my mind makes up a reason why I shouldn't have it. A few months ago I got myself something really nice that ties in with a hobby of mine. It's fully paid off and not hurting me financially, but my ocd has been acting up a lot telling me the object is "contaminated". It's gotten to the point where just having it in the house is causing me distress. I am so close to selling it at a loss just to get rid of it, but I know I would be online looking for a new one to replace it the moment I shipped it off, and I don't want this cycle to repeat once again. Should I just accept that this hobby that I really love is not for me? Or can I somehow work with it using ERP? Any ideas on what that could look like? Thanks in advance :)

Do not let OCD steal your hobby! It’s not the hobby that’s wrong for you, it’s the OCD. ERP can certainly help. You mentioned that you’re new to ERP: are you seeing an OCD specialist? Because they are the best resource for starting ERP and making sure you’re doing it correctly. I’m not sure what the object is so I’ll just keep calling it an object: - start by keeping the object closer to you in the house (if you’ve moved it to some obscure room to avoid it, move it into one you visit more frequently) - after that no longer causes anxiety, put it in a room you are mostly in (bedroom, living room, etc.) - next, practice touching the object - then practice touching the object for more extended periods - try using the object briefly - then use it for longer - then use it to do a complete project -etc The idea is to incrementally increase the time you spend with it and how close to it you are. Each time you take on a new level of closeness, be sure you’re not engaging in compulsions during or after. Just let the anxiety and intrusive thoughts about contamination be there until they leave in their own. Don’t move onto a new level until the old one stops being triggering Here’s a great article on self directed ERP: https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/expert-opinion-self-directed-erp/

I completely understand what you’re going through. My intrusive thoughts affect my hobbies, making me believe I don’t enjoy the hobbies which is terribly upsetting :(