- Username
- isai
- Date posted
- 5y ago
It’s the worst thing you can do for your OCD. I’m telling you that from experience. Fire your therapist and find a new one.
A therapist who suggests snapping a rubber band on their wrist doesn’t know what they are talking about
Find an ERP specialist who understands OCD treatment
Totally agree with mjs110160 I found that rubber band tip on some random forum. Did nothing but give me a sore wrist ?? you need some ERP and maybe medication
Rubber band technique was quashed in the ‘80’s when they found it doesn’t work for any disorders. Total bullshit! Tells the brain it must be important if you using something to ‘ward it off’ I’d say practicing a minute or two of mindfulness when the urge to compulse arises would be far more beneficial. Observant, non blocking, but also not engaging. As hard as that is. Especially with sexual or harmful themes.
Isai I have to agree with the others. That is a terrible idea and I am surprised your therapist would suggest it. One of the biggest challenges with the compulsive thoughts is managing it and the exposure to it. You have to understand it in order to control it. Associating those thoughts with something negative will in the long run only strengthen the compulsion. Eventually you develop anxiety by not using the rubberband and increase the compulsion. The rubberband itself with become a routine/compulsion for you. Not only will it not help but you will have a sore wrist like redmax said. You have to remember that the compulsion is in reaction to the thought. All you are doing is replacing the compulsion with the rubberband, not actually addressing the thoughts.
This therapist does not understand ERP because they have just suggested you make a new compulsion to stop an old compulsion. Furthermore it is punitive and not self compassionate. If this therapist is not listed in IOCDF, I would *NOT* use them. Lastly the goal of therapy is not to erase thoughts but allow them to exist without being reactive to them. This is the definition of being reactive.
I’m not 100% convinced that ERP is 100% effective. I may have less anxiety and have been very brave with the disgusting images I have had to bring to mind, but if it goes against your instincts and values then therapists are far too focussed on the logical outcome or statistical criteria. It does nothing for shame and guilt. I wonder if some thing like ACT OR DBT may be good for this. ERP is great for some themes, but ones about a persons sense of self and morality? Not so much.
To resist compulsions? I’m not resisting the thoughts just the compulsions.
I’ve talked to her and she seems to understand what erp is and I’m going to talk to her more about it. I was distracted while talking to her about it as I had to get my boyfriend to his interview but she was saying she knows it has a high drop out and I of course know that’s because of possibly starting at too high of exposures but I want to ask her more about it.
I’m taking meds, 20mg Prozac and I plan to discuss erp with her more and if she doesn’t seem to want to then I’ll move on
Man.. I feel so discouraged now.. I don’t know what to do I feel like my dad is going to be angry I’m changing so soon and ugh.
Try not to worry about your dad. Focus on what's best for you, that's what he should want for you. He's not the one who has to deal with the ocd so do all that you can even if it means searching for the right therapist.
Love the positive reinforcement guys. I’m kind of ashamed by this but I started therapy for OCD 10 years ago and totally bought the rubber band thing. I never knew it had been debunked, I just kind of assumed it didn’t work because something was wrong with me. I guess that’s why we have resources like this...
Read the literature
What literature are you referencing?? I’ve read over 50 papers!! Apart from ACT trying to combat this ERP does NOTHING about this.
Does anyone have advice for magical thinking OCD? For instance i can’t have an intrusive thought while doing something because then i have to go back and do it while having a good / safe thought to counteract the bad one. Anyone else struggle with this? Some input would be great.
Is wanting to purposefully hurt yourself to get out the stress or guilt of doing something incorrectly something anybody else experiences? I would think harm ocd but isn't that just the fear of doing it to other people? So maybe it's my real event. But I don't want to hurt myself, I feel like I have to or problems do not get resolved and I'm in the wrong, no matter how minor it is. I even relapsed with these thoughts because I left food out overnight and my boyfriend got understandably mad. I've seriously been struggling going without traditionial self harm these past few months and it feels like something is missing, and if I do feel some kind of pain it will "go away". It's starting to feel like a ritual but I don't know what it would be. The thought of using a belt to whip myself is getting a lot more intense by the day but I know if I act on it my boyfriend will be able to tell, I'm assuming it would leave marks. I've always been this way before, very submissive in personality and feeling like I need to be punished, even prior to the abusive relationship I was in years ago. Is this actually ocd too or an excuse for my previous addiction to self harm??
Does anyone else here struggle with mental compulsions? I have harm ocd and I have been doing ERP for a while now and I have given up all of my compulsions (on good days) but notice my mental compulsions are almost instant.. so hard to stop. I would say I am about 80% better than when I was in the thick of it (worst ocd spike I’ve ever had in my life). I KNOW I would be in remission by giving them up. Can anyone share some of their mental compulsions and how they stop them? I notice mine are comparing myself to other people saying they don’t have this issue, what would they do if they were alone, thinking my way out of a situation as soon as I am triggered (my biggest compulsion is avoidance), thinking of different safety precautions.. etc. I would love any feedback 🤍
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