ocd is such a hater i have squashed three major themes with ERP and now its making me dread the possibility of developing a new theme

I worked HEAVILY with uncertainty statements as well as script writing. My harm ocd pertained to gun violence so imaginary exposures worked best. I recognize that OCD is a smart shapeshifter but using tools to be smarter than it can be exhausting :(

@igluvty I have the same thing I’m dealing with. I am so scared I will shoot and kill someone. Can you give me guidance on how to squash it?

@NOCD Advocate - Greg J. I am not a therapist and everything works different for everyone but I am happy to tell you what worked for me! I have a NOCD therapist I’m working with at the moment. The uncertainty statements can help with the concrete event of committing gun violence. Often however, there’s a core fear buried under that concrete event and that is where the script writing comes into play for me. Dr Michael Greenberg has an article online about the core fear and it is very useful! Gun violence is a catastrophic fear and guns are not something we have to use on a daily basis like a kitchen knife or ur vehicle. So when I wrote out a script of the event happening, I noticed the gun itself wasn’t the obstacle to get over, it was the emotional suffering I was most afraid of enduring should something LIKE gun violence occur. hope this helps :)

@igluvty Yeah I never understood how scripts worked or helped. So I would just write a script about my fear happening and then not react to it? And read it multiple times per day?

@NOCD Advocate - Greg J. Personally writing the script itself and reading it for the first time was the hardest. After that yes, now I read it once or twice everyday and it becomes boring to me. I’m not sure what your compulsions are, I ruminate heavily. So I read it over and over and just told myself it may or may not happen. I know that is what everyone says and it’s hard to believe when ur in the thick of it that it’ll work but you can do this!!

@igluvty Yes my only compulsion is ruminating! I feel like we have such a similar OCD fear! Mine is about a specific person that what if I hurt them. So I should write a script about hurting them and the consequences and read it till it gets boring? I also heard you can record scripts and listen to them?

@NOCD Advocate - Greg J. If that is something you are prepared to do then yes scripts can be very effective. I haven’t felt the need to record mine but they offer that tool on this app.

@igluvty Love what you said about the core fear. I always make sure my recorded scripts get to the core fear. “I’m scared that I cheated on my homework. Actually, I probably did cheat on my homework. Because I cheated on my homework, that’s an immoral act, I will get kicked out of school, everyone will know I’m a fraud and I will go to hell.” I just take it alllll the way. When it comes to ethical themes, whether it’s attaching to me or someone else the panic inducing fear is always hell. When it comes to relationship or real event OCD I also go all the way, “that was cheating, I cheated and my husband will divorce me” or “what I did WAS bad. It was horrible. If people knew they would hate me. My husband would leave me and I would have to kill myself.” I just get to the fear that makes me hyperventilate, and knock it out cold. 👊👊