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- 4y
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- 4y
Just my perspective, but I think the longer you accommodate your anxiety and distress because it’s challenging confronting it the longer you delay getting better. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a father of two and was a stay at home dad for a period of time, so I understand the difficulties of raising a child. But we simply have to push through our distress to get to the other side of this disorder. There is no easy road, and having to do this type of therapy will have to happen for you to get better. Do you want to do it now? Or wait until your child is five, ten, or fifteen years old? Why is now not the best time?
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- 4y
Very good perspective, thank you so much for your input!!!
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- 4y
I've had to back off ERP before because I couldn't take the stress alongside work and school. Instead I focused on ACT, CBT, and talk therapy with my therapist at the time. I managed pretty well for a while! Now I'm dealing with OCD thru ERP because those strategies only kept it at bay so long. Stick with it if you can, but advocate for yourself! 💪 I would stratgize with your therapist to see if there are ways you can adapt your exposure schedule.
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- 4y
This is a great idea, thank you for sharing! I love my son so much, I just want to enjoy him all the time! OCD makes it very hard at times!
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- 4y
@Lysmarie13 Yes, being a new mom is a joyful and exhausting time! I hope you can find ways to make it work with ERP so you can enjoy it more. I'm proud of you for trying, even tho we don't know each other! 😁 Good luck!
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- 4y
@J.J. Thank you!!! Postpartum ocd Is not talked about enough! I appreciate your support!
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- 4y
@Lysmarie13 I know you love your son that's why ocd is attacking him. OCD attacks things that mean the most to us.
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- 4y
What are some thoughts you experience towards your son?
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- 4y
I know how difficult that can be
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- 4y
They were harm thoughts like telling me that I wanted to kill him etc. gives me chills just typing it, but also like “what if he’s evil” and it really scared me. Since then developed an uncomfortable feeling towards then #6 it’s just been a whirlwind. I have literally had every theme in the book and the usually center around my son or the fear of going crazy or losing control. I love him more than life itself. Etc.
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- 4y
@Lysmarie13 It’s gotten better, but I feel like every time I respond and it gets better a new theme pops up
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- 4y
Have you been able to share this with your spouse/friend? What have been some of their responses. I understand that these thoughts can lead to so much distress. Have you tried to sit in silence and let those thoughts come into your mind??
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- 4y
Yes, I’m in therapy but the ERP has made me way more anxious and caused my thoughts to be more frequent. It’s been very distressing.. before I was pregnant and during pregnancy. My ocd wasn’t as bad. I am trying to sit and just let them be there, rather then try an reason with them. As I know they are illogical and the exact opposite of how I feel!
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- 4y
Instead of pressing them down
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- 4y
Do they come in randomly?
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- 4y
Yes, very intrusive. Or can be triggered by my reassurance seeking online. Which I’m no longer doing.
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- 4y
I’m so worried I’m going to gave those thoughts someday when I start a family
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- 4y
You might not! Your experience could be totally different! Or you could have it managed by then 😊 PPOCD is scary, but ocd loves to attack what you love most. I had this fear that it would happen to me before he was born. So I believe ocd latched to that fear
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- 4y
Are you able to talk to someone about it?
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- 4y
Yes, my family and my therapist!
Related posts
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- 25w
First post... I ruminate all the time, getting triggered by the smallest things that remind me of terrible events in my life or fears tied to my compulsions. It could be as small as a lawyer looking at my LinkedIn profile and me convincing myself that means I'm getting sued. Or even an article about taxes that makes me spiral into thinking I'm negligent. I could be fine one minute & wonder if I'm making it all up and then cry for two hours the next, cursing people who are neurotypical and wishing I could be like them. I tried talk therapy for two years and now I'm doing NOCD + ERP because I'm pregnant and had to reduce my dose of medication. Pregnancy almost made my OCD mental compulsions worse, and I got diagnosised with MDD, too. Not to mention the skin picking disorder I've had since childhood. It's becoming really hard to be positive despite a daily gratitude journal, walking 5k steps a day, and doing calming yoga with the occasional meditation when things get really bad. I'm trying, I really am. But having three diagnosed disorders makes me feel like I'm set up to fail despite having a wonderful husband and life, plus my coming first baby. It makes me feel like a horrible person when everything around me is seemingly fine but I can't seem to focus enough on the present to appreciate it. I feel so lost about it all and am plagued by guilt and shame. Does anyone else relate?
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- 25w
I’m starting NOCD. I had several years of cbt as a child (well over 20 years ago) and I see a trauma therapist. But now I’ll be seeking further help for OCD and just really scared. CBT wasn’t helpful for me. How has ERP been helpful for you? Do you feel like you’ll finally get your life back? I’m consumed by my obsessions 😢 Would love others feedback if ERP helped you ❤️
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- 11w
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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