Serio?
- Date posted
- 4y
AnonymousAnonymous
- Date posted
- 4y
ERP is definitely challenging and not easy. For me it really intensifies the thoughts and spikes my anxiety. It also really urges me to do compulsions to quickly calm my fear. The beauty of it is that, in doing ERP, you are intentionally facing your fears and anxieties and not running from them. This results in an overall decrease in anxiety and OCD over time. It’s like if your scared of going on an elevator, the first 10 times on one will be really scary, but by the 100th time on an elevator, the fears won’t even matter anymore. Just be patient with it and allow the anxiety to spike, knowing that, eventually, it will come down for good.
SheebySheeby
- Date posted
- 4y
^^^ this. Don’t rush feeling less and less anxious. It will happen naturally
Serio?Serio?
- Date posted
- 4y
That makes a lot of sense. I’m on week two and it’s been getting pretty difficult. The OCD dreams and disturbing thoughts and urges have come back. This motivates me a lot, thank you
Evelyn4416Evelyn4416
- Date posted
- 4y
I’ve been doing ERP for about 8 months through NOCD. In the beginning it was pretty heightened and tears were involved at one point, but wow the results that come afterward is incredibly worth it. I would consider my OCD severe last year, it was the same severity for months until I started therapy/ERP and that’s when I finally started seeing progress. In the beginning I’ve heard it’s common for it to get worse before it gets better, I slightly dealt with this but it barely lasted and you have to keep pushing yourself. Now I’m a lot better than I was last year. I still have the OCD symptoms for sure, but the intensity and frequency of it are less. There are days where I really feel like myself again. You learn what to do when you’re having an off day or even an off moment. Overall it’s the best course of action I have ever taken.
kmecrozkmecroz
- Date posted
- 4y
Hey Sheri! So - ditto to above actually. I'm on week 4 of NOCD and it's tough! I'm having more OCD and more anxiety - but before I was just forcibly pushing it away. I'm learning to deal with it now instead of trying to force myself to ignore it. That way I can do it naturally. It's totally reprogramming the brain and so hard. But - that being said - I am noticing a little difference and know at the end of this I'll be so much better. Just stick with it and don't give up. :)
Serio?Serio?
- Date posted
- 4y
Thank you! I wish you luck as well. It’s getting tough but I’m tougher!
Related posts
hbocd
- Date posted
- 24w
ERP Therapy
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.
anonymous00981
- Date posted
- 20w
What now?
My soocd sufferers and recoverers, I have a question! This is my second spiral and while I hade some manageable background noise before, the spiral literally “clicked” into place a few months again and it’s been awful every single day. I’m on meds and doing some light ERP/ACT because my anxiety was so bad I lost so much weight, but I wake up feeling ok and there’s no “click” back to normal. Is there supposed to be like a moment where it’s all over or is it gradual bc if anything I “feel gay” and more accepting of that. Anyone else?
Anonymous 25#
- Date posted
- 17w
Anyone?
Hey everyone it’s been a while since I posted on here. Honestly, I try to stay off of this app unless I really need advice because I find it triggering at times. But right now I’m feeling pretty down and just would like some hopeful and helpful advice. Has anyone ever felt like they’re just not capable of getting out of this? Has anyone ever felt like ERP therapy isn’t working or that they just can’t get it’s a click? . I’ve been in ERP therapy for over a year just about a year and a half actually and I literally feel so stagnant and stuck still. I show up every week I do my exposures, but my body is in such a chronic fight or fight all the time that it feels almost impossible to apply the tools. I’m super sensitive to begin with and I feel things very deeply and because of that it feels like I’m not gonna be able to ever change. It feels like no matter what I do or experience I’m just gonna always feel it so deeply and it’s gonna just rattle me all of the time. I’m honestly so frustrated. I’m tired and I’m overwhelmed. I so badly wanna change these patterns that I have and grow and be out of this OCD spiral, but everything just feels impossible. I’m just wondering if I’m alone here?? Has anyone ever felt this way? Has ERP taken a long time for anyone else or am I the only one that just can’t get my brain to click with it? Any encouraging and helpful words would be greatly appreciated thank you 🙏
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