AaronS
- Date posted
- 5y
ocdillustratedocdillustrated
- Date posted
- 5y
Hey 😊 It's exciting that you're ready to take action. It's possible to do ERP on your own successfully. However, there are some common pitfalls you need to avoid. What are you using to guide your efforts?
AaronSAaronS
- Date posted
- 5y
My comment is below on this thread. Im new to this.
PaulaPaula
- Date posted
- 5y
Hi ! I am on my own too. I have pure o so i do erp whenever thoughts come. I am still trying to figure out the right way to respond to thoughts. What type of OCD do you have ?:)
Meof3Meof3
- Date posted
- 5y
Hi I have pure o as well and doing erp on my own. How do you do exposure for your pure o?
PaulaPaula
- Date posted
- 5y
@Sunflower 1234 The thoughts coming represent exposure
AaronSAaronS
- Date posted
- 5y
I actually don't know what type I have. But I have really bad intrusive thoughts from it. I have had it since I was 13. It went away for the most part for a while then came back really bad.
Rosie38Rosie38
- Date posted
- 5y
I'm doing ERP too but with the help of a therapist. Every other week. It's really tough but all I can say it take it at your own pace, be honest with yourself in regards to safety behaviours.. are you replacing one with another and if so mayeb regocnise that in your own head and label it as an ocd thought and maybe distract yourself. Revisit the anxiety in 15 minutes say and reassure yourself that's it's gone down or that it will go down. That's what Im trying to do anyway. It's definitely tough though. Your are stronger than you give yourself credit for. OCD is a bully and they crumble when tackled. The people that were bullied turn out to be far stronger inside that the bully ever was.
Rosie38Rosie38
- Date posted
- 5y
I find it hard to distinguish ocd thought from those that aren't at times too.
AaronSAaronS
- Date posted
- 5y
NOCD advocate thanks for replying. I was going to kind of moderately push myself into things that trigger the ocd and not respond to it. And if I succeed to move on to harder steps. Also if I do ERP would it make my intrusive thoughts worse if it doesn't go away?
Rosie38Rosie38
- Date posted
- 5y
That's exactly the way I'm doing it, a fear heirarcy really. It's hard for me to answer that but with me it doesn't seem to but I do feel that it has jumped and new things come in when I've stopped others. But I am just trying to deal with the new compulsions and thoughtas the same way. Its tough but it does work eventually with alot of effort. But it wil be worth it I know it.
ocdillustratedocdillustrated
- Date posted
- 5y
You've got the gist of how ERP works. I recommend getting an OCD workbook or self help book to guide you through the specific steps of the process
Meof3Meof3
- Date posted
- 5y
@NOCD Advocate - Katie What OCD work book do you recommend?
ocdillustratedocdillustrated
- Date posted
- 5y
@Sunflower 1234 There's a bunch of good ones. Here's a recommendation list https://ocdla.com/ocdreadings
Meof3Meof3
- Date posted
- 5y
@NOCD Advocate - Katie Thanks so much
AaronSAaronS
- Date posted
- 5y
Ok. But could my thoughts get worse if I fail at managing my ocd? I'm worried I might have permanent thoughts if I go through ERP.
ocdillustratedocdillustrated
- Date posted
- 5y
If you engage in compulsions, the OCD will get worse. Exposure gets all the glory, but Response Prevention is where the actual brain changes happen. Exposure plus compulsions just leads to more OCD
AaronSAaronS
- Date posted
- 5y
@NOCD Advocate - Katie Thank you Katie. You helped
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