Seeking advice: When an obsession comes up and you are trying to resist doing compulsions and before long you’re ruminating and then another obsession appears even before you get to resolve the first obsession. So then obsessions pile up. How do you deal with that?

Focus on one obsession at a time. Don’t try to stop all of your compulsions at once - if another obsession comes, try to ignore it or do whatever you can do focus on exposure for the first compulsion. Choose something easy to complete first, something that you will 100% be able to complete, so that when you’re working on the hard stuff you’ll have a small victory to look back on. If, for example, you’re worried about needing to knock on a door three times before entering a room, but you also have to tap your foot three times against the floor before you enter the room, don’t try to stop both at once; try to stop the knocking, and then once that is complete, stop the foot tapping. I hope this helps! Keep us updated on how things are going.

I've been wondering about the same thing. Sometimes I'd just forget about some obsessions when they pile up and be very anxious about it. But often after some time I don't care anymore.

It’s just there are so many, I don’t know where to begin or how to do it. I know what I need to do but here’s the thing, if someone is afraid of contamination and fear of feces, I doubt they would be touching feces for the ERP. So how then, would one be doing an ERP for that? I’ve tried imaginary but it doesn’t help. I feel stupid and foolish and couldn’t take it seriously.

Well what fear would you like to conquer first? Maybe we can think of an ERP together.

I’m not sure. My two most problematic Ocds are contamination fear and checking compulsions. But these two work hand in hand. I should probably start by stop writing my dreams every hour each night to get better rest so I’m not tired but I’ve tried stopping once before but it came back stronger and it was after something traumatizing. But even when I feel rested the thought of doing the ERP exhausts me. Getting out of bed to use the bathroom is both my contamination and checking. Throwing things out is also contamination and checking. I don’t go anywhere else in the apartment just bed and bathroom. I’m going to have to start packing because I have to leave where I am in about two weeks, I’m just so exhausted. I’ve thought about going to the hospital but I’ve been there three times and each time they say they’d help me I’m still stuck in bed. And hospitals are scary because I don’t have control and you have to do everything on their time and that’s extremely difficult for me.

You should start with something minor. Can you write down your dreams only every two hours? See how that goes. Or do you check something several times? Try checking it one time less.

I’ve tried reducing the amount of times I write my dreams but if I don’t I start to become anxious and can not fall asleep. Only when I feel safe I can go back to sleep. I’ve been getting better at trying not to feel guilt and ruminate about dreams that I know I had and remember (I try to recall all my dreams before I open my eyes-usually have few episodes) up until I open my eyes and I forget what I was literally thinking of a second ago. That used to bother me so much. I’m able to do that when I’m so exhausted I just sleep. So when I do forget I can write it off as I was really tired and can fall back to sleep. If that makes sense? The checking is strange. I check multiple times when either I’m lacking in rest, I’m exhausted or experiencing depersonalization from anxiety. Also I get light headed and nauseous and start doubting my eyes. So I take pictures. I used to have to record myself but it’s very rare. A lot of pictures still? Yes. But I also try to think of the best way to check and clean one time. Throwing things out is a bit more difficult. I know what garbage is but I’m afraid that something small like my SD card with my embarrassing videos/photos or earrings that belonged to my deceased mother (examples) that I may accidentally throw away. I know they are just material items and but I feel like I’m tossing my mother out or I failed her or I killed her again or that I’m irresponsible and don’t care about her. I’m also afraid of forgetting. I know no one can rob me of my memories but there are things in the past that I do not remember until I see the item. And most importantly sentimental items are hard to let go.

I know how you feel I've got similar issues! It's really hard... The only thing we can do is resisting compulsions as often as possible. Have you tried GG OCD? It's an app that tries to change your thought patterns, it's worth a try!

@crazy.cat.lady Have you been doing erp in this app? Erp is supposed to be the most effective for getting beyond those compulsions!