I have no idea how to use the exercises because I’m not always sure of the trigger to my ocd. I ruminate and obsess constantly, the thing I obsess over and have intrusive thoughts over changes when I’m no longer freaking out over one or whenever it feels like it. It’s typically in a pattern when I think of my thoughts. I was wondering if anyone knew how to tell me use this app or stop the excessive obsessions/intrusive thoughts

Hi! I feel the same way have the same thoughts this app is confusing lol. There is a help page for many questions on how to make an exposure. What you obsess about has a trigger and you can expose the trigger that brings you anxiety and it sucks in the moment but will get better because it is teaching the ocd that it isn’t in control! Get some meds, also getting a therapist is also ok your thoughts aren’t bad none of them are and your not alone if there the deepest darkest thoughts there not bad! God loves you!

Here joshua, those few lines are from the website " ocd center from los angeles" on how to write a ERP story, which you can then transfer in the erp exercises in this app. Writing Imaginal Exposure Stories Imaginal Exposure stories are written with the client’s active participation, and based entirely upon their actual obsessions. To be truly effective, imaginal exposure stories should have six specific characteristics that ensure that they will have the most impact: Write in the first person – “I stabbed my girlfriend”, rather than “he stabbed his girlfriend”. These stories are not about some other person – they are about you. Write in the present-tense – Don’t write it like it happened last year. Write it like it is happening now, or at least write it in such a way that the consequences are occurring now. Keep it real – It must be based on an actual thought that is bothering you now. If the thought is not really bothering you, don’t waste your time writing about it. Keep it realistic – Nothing too far-out. It has to feel believable to you. Keep it succinct – No fluff and no soft-pedaling. This isn’t a creative writing class. For example, if you have obsessions about harming someone, then write a short story in which you act on that thought, and you pay the price. Take it to the limit – Make it as bad as you can make it – your own personal nightmare – whether that is life in prison for murder, eternity in hell, or just having to spend the next 40 years living with the knowledge that you’ve sexually molested your own child! Imaginal exposures stories should be relatively short and to the point – usually no more than ½ to ¾ page. Again, this is not a creative writing class, so nix the fancy adjectives and metaphors, and focus on sticking to the content in all its brutal glory. I have had clients who have written powerful imaginal exposure stories that were only one sentence long. Each situation will vary. If I may, I would suggest you to ➗ your story in 3 part. You start with the low level anxiety beginning of your story. Then you expose yourself to it at least once a day until you feel almost no anxiety to it like a 2/10. Then you go with the middle part of that story which should be more frightening and you again expose yourself to it. And finally you keep the scarriest part for last. By then you should be way better. But reminder you have to resist doing any form of compulsions while doing the ERP exercice.

Also,on the website, you have examples of ERP scenario. Here the link to it; https://ocdla.com/imaginal-exposure-ocd-anxiety-4847 .