- Date posted
- 5y
- Date posted
- 5y
My therapist put it to me that “just because you do ERP doesn’t mean you live like a pig in shit.” People without OCD still take precautions for their health. What differentiates them from us is that they’re generally satisfied with the precautions they’re directed to take, and they generally aren’t plagued by an overwhelming, unrelenting sense of “but what if I’m wrong? what if the directions are wrong? what if the directions are right, but I didn’t follow them well enough? what if I didn’t do what I’m supposed to and somebody dies because of it?” and then argue with themselves over it, continually check to make sure they haven’t set things up to fail, take more (or more stringent) precautions than they need to, and feel varying levels and flavors of guilty about their actions and thoughts regarding the situation. I work in an Emergency Room, and when the pandemic started our bosses gathered us all up and told us “We don’t want you guys to look at all these different news sources telling you all these different things about the virus, because we don’t know how accurate their reports are. We are keeping up with, and following, the CDC guidelines.” So in the case of the pandemic, ERP doesn’t mean refusing to wear a mask; and in the case of changing cat litter, ERP doesn’t mean neglecting to wash your hands. It might mean—depending on what compulsions you deal with—stepping onto your front porch for some fresh air, or refraining from wiping down mail/packages, or being strict about washing your hands for 20 seconds instead of 90. And then sitting with/breathing through any guilt or anxiety you feel about *not* engaging in any precautionary behavior that an authority on the subject (like the CDC) would consider to be excessive. Congratulations on your pregnancy, by the way 😃
- Date posted
- 5y
This is incredible. So thankful you posted. Especially as someone who works in emergency. I had to go to emergency about 2 months ago for a separate health mystery I am dealing with. My doctor actually had me go as a precaution to get some quick scans and i was so scared to go as someone with contamination ocd. It was really helpful to see how calm the nurses and custodial staff were. Everyone just followed procedure and was chill. They were chatting with colleagues and laughing a little and being so calm with patients. It was really encouraging to see medical professionals living inside of guidelines and doing their jobs just fine. This isnt to minimalize what you guys do. I know it stressful and scary and a lot of responsibility. What you guys do is amazing. Thank you for your work and for sharing your insights here :)
- Date posted
- 5y
Hey so I searched a lot for this because I struggle hard. I found this webinar a while ago that helped me A LOT. You have to do safe ERP right now. It cant be done like it used to. Simply put, you have to follow the cdc and your doctors recommendations and no more. With OCD we tend to go overboard. I used to store my groceries for a week and wash my hands more than 70 times a day even though me and my husband work from home and only do curbside pickup of groceries. ERP for me was to lessen my hand washing and only do a single handwashing for 20 seconds. I also had very long shower rituals and for me ERP is to wash each body part for 20 seconds and move on. You shouldnt be doing ERP like you maybe did before the pandemic because sitting on a bathroom floor or whatever the more extreme versions were before is not safe right now. I loved this webinar. It's long but so so SO worth it. I sat down with my husband and watched it one night while eating supper on the couch. I really highly reccomend it. https://youtu.be/zoXXRRC3opk
- Date posted
- 5y
Well said!!
- Date posted
- 5y
There are so good webbinars about this, check out IOCDF town hall on you tube. The basic is "live according to the guidelines", thats enough ERP for aprson with OCD, the response prevention part us to do nothing more than recommended, in your case follow the recommendations for pregnancy.
- Date posted
- 5y
This is something best discussed with a doctor and therapist.
- Date posted
- 5y
Can ERP actually be done though? I’m starting next week but I’m trying to learn about this in the meantime. Obviously sinking dollars on something that can’t help isn’t ideal with a baby on the way.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 21w
So I have pretty intense contamination OCD tied to Moral/Real event OCD, and I'm having a hard time with it because part of me does genuinely believe my logic checks out, and I was hoping to get some insight as to how to change the way I see it from other people who sort of get the mindset involved :). To sum it up as well as I can, I basically have a very souped-up version of the same item-event association most people have. For example, let's say you have a HORRIBLE, GOD AWFUL relationship with a person you can't even begin to think of favorably even years after the event. They had gotten you a stuffed animal for your anniversary at some point. You finally "escape" the relationship, and you throw away the stuffed animal. This is seen as a very normal and sound-of-mind action. Here's where things get tricky: For me, throwing out that stuffed animal wouldn't be enough. After all, it touched my table didn't it? And my table touched the floor right? And these things now carry that person's germs. And if I don't get rid of them, then they'll infect my future belongings. This logic isn't entirely flawed either, as even my OCD specialist said he believes in a "weaker version of what I do". How am I supposed to convince myself that what I'm believing is false when the literal psychologist confirmed that what I'm doing is just a more in-depth version of a normal experience? Ex: I have a new outfit, fresh and clean. I'm unbothered and happy, but I knick the side of a table. The table holds awful associations. I get this awful sense of dread. The clothes are now somewhat sullied, and I'll eventually have to give them away. I don't think I'm explaining this as well as I could, but I feel like those notions are there. Anyways, does anyone have any insight as to how to get my mind to genuinely believe that interacting with these things is "safe"?
- Date posted
- 15w
One problem - Various themes This is my first post. I had a relapse a few months ago. Life was amazing and then boom, I got triggered by something and started spiralling about my sexuality (having finally been at peace for two years, entered a healthy new relationship and come out of the closet as an older women). How do you, when you're not triggered practice ERP? I'm able to try and accept the thoughts every time I see a man. What should I be doing when I don't encounter these triggers. I was to say as well that I also am starting to get real event OCD about some of the sexual things I did in the past when I was married and in an unhealthy toxic relationship with my ex husband. I am shamed and disgusted and I'm working on it but there's a certain subsection of the LGBTQ community that trigger these thoughts, groinals and thing for me... I feel like I'm beginning to realise I need to maybe be a little more active in my recovery instead of waiting for triggers... But I don't know how
- Date posted
- 14w
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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