- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
For me, almost every action, everyone, and everything was/is a potential trigger. I truly was triggered by EVERYTHING, even the act of breathing triggered me. But I'm an extrovert at heart and I thrive in social environments but my OCD made me basically housebound. For the majority of 2018 I only left the house to see my therapist (who isn't even an OCD specialist) I've made progress in leaps and bounds and I want to keep it up! ?
- Date posted
- 6y
Hey fellow JW :) Yay! I’m so happy for you. I wanted to reach out to you on IG but it has my real name on it, somewhat reluctant even though I shouldn’t be. Maybe I’ll make another account so I can message you
- Date posted
- 6y
Wildflower how have u made progress? Would love to hear about it for inspiration
- Date posted
- 6y
Yes the vetting process is hard. I'll pray for you to find the right therapist
- Date posted
- 6y
I think online therapists have free 15 minute or 30 minute consultations that may help you decide who you connect with or fit with best
- Date posted
- 6y
@halespineapple18 my wildflower account isn't my personal account either
- Date posted
- 6y
@MikeG where do I start? you ask the questions, I'll answer. I pretty much started living life fully again and every action I'm taking is an exposure
- Date posted
- 6y
What actions have you taken that have helped you the most
- Date posted
- 6y
@MikeG Strengthening my relationship with God, associating with friends and family again, getting an IV (intravenous) drip they supplied me with the vitamins and minerals that I was lacking due to poor diet/malnourishment. And I also started my own version of eco-therapy, spending time in green places with friends and alone. Kind of like ACT, accepting the fact that I have wacky electrical impulses in my brain but living my life according to my values. What have you tried?
- Date posted
- 6y
@wildflower so far I’ve read the book brain lock which has help me identify why my thoughts are obsessive and how to label them and not act on them which is so much easier said than done. Now debating on getting an online ocd therapist.
- Date posted
- 6y
What are you weighing? I think it's worth it and it's usually more affordable!
- Date posted
- 6y
Should I look for an online therapists?
- Date posted
- 6y
That's a decision you have to make. What's holding you back?
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- 6y
Picking the right one lol one who will understand
- Date posted
- 6y
Tyvm! Do you have any recommendations?
Related posts
- Date posted
- 23w
People who went from a really bad time with OCD to a better time now. Is it really possible? What was your theme? Did you take medication?
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 20w
December 14, 2024, marked two years since my first ERP therapy session with my NOCD therapist, Mixi. And October 2024 marked a year of being free from OCD. It was not an easy journey, confronting my fears face to face. Exposing myself to the images and thoughts my brain kept throwing at me, accepting that I might be the worst mother, that my daughter wouldn’t love me, and that I deserved to be considered a bad person. It was challenging having to say, “Yes, I am those things,” feeling the desire to run, but realizing the thoughts followed me. At the start of my therapy, I remember feeling like I couldn’t do this anymore. Life felt unbearable, and I felt so weak. I longed for a time before the OCD, before the flare-ups, before the anxiety, the daily panic attacks. I thought I’d never be myself again. But I now know that ERP saved my life. The first couple of sessions were tough. I wasn’t fully present. I lied to my therapist about what my actual thoughts were, fearing judgment. I pretended that the exposures were working, but when the sessions ended, I went back to not sleeping, constantly overwhelmed by fear and anxiety. But my therapist never judged me. She made me feel safe to be honest with her. She understood OCD and never faltered in supporting me, even when I admitted I had been lying and still continued my compulsions. My biggest milestone in therapy was being 100% transparent with my therapist. That was when real change began. At first, I started small—simply reading the words that terrified me: "bad mom," "hated," "unloved." Then, I worked on listening to those words while doing dishes—not completely stopping my rumination, but noticing it. Just 15 minutes, my therapist said. It wasn’t easy. At one point, I found myself thinking, “Will I ever feel like myself again?” But I kept pushing through. Slowly, I built tolerance and moved to face-to-face exposures—sitting alone with my daughter, leaning into the thought that my siblings might die, reading articles about my worst fears, and calling myself the things I feared. Each session was challenging, but with time, the thoughts started to lose their grip. By my eleventh session, I started to realize: OCD was here, and it wasn’t going away, but I could keep living my life despite it. I didn’t need to wait for it to be quiet or go away to move on. Slowly, it began to quiet down, and I started to feel like myself again. In fact, I am not my old self anymore—I’m a better version. OCD hasn’t completely disappeared, but it’s quieter now. Most of the time, it doesn’t speak, and when it does, I know how to handle it. The last session with my therapist was emotional. I cried because I was finishing therapy. I remember how, in the beginning, I cried because I thought it was just starting—because I was overwhelmed and terrified. But at the end, I cried because I was sad it was ending. It felt like I had come so far, and part of me wasn’t ready to say goodbye, even though I had already learned so much. It was a bittersweet moment, but I knew I was walking away stronger, equipped with the tools to handle OCD on my own. If I could change anything about my journey, it would be being open and honest from the beginning. It was the key to finding true healing. The transparency, the honesty—it opened the door to lasting change. I’m no longer that person who was stuck in constant panic. I’m someone who has fought and survived, and while OCD still appears from time to time, I know it doesn’t define me. I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments. Have you started therapy, is something holding you back? Is there something you want to know about ERP therapy? I'll be live in the app answering each and every one today from 6-7pm EST. Please drop them below!
- Date posted
- 18w
i came out of it now i’m back in , what helps?
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