Happy Sunday all! Just wanted to share how successful ERP has been for me and how much I am improving and wanted to give advice to anyone who has questions!

0823, thank you!! I noticed a change almost instantly in the overall intensity of my thoughts, I’m still early in the process but it’s making a big difference

Exactly! Whenever you get an intrusive thought, or false memory, just sit with the thought and the uncertainty of not knowing. It’s very uncomfortable but as you start to do it more and more your brain will realize these thoughts are not a threat and will stop sending you faulty signals

Happy Sunday! I’m happy you’re improving, that’s amazing to hear! How long did it take for the ERP to start working?

What's it like?

What is he main theme of your ocd?

Beeceef, it is difficult when you purposely expose yourself to your triggers it will raise your anxiety a lot but once you start I noticed I get less and less intrusive thoughts as I go on. I still have my days but it’s a big difference

Kitty, my two main themes are harm and sexual themes, though I’ve learned ocd is ocd no matter what “theme” you have

I’m so happy for you!!!

Good!

Thank you Angela!!!!

Is ERP exposure not just physical? Like mental exposure too? I’m working ‘false memories’ that have messed my life up atm

@BigRuss are you being guided by a therapist or doing it in a self-directed way?

Kitty, I am in therapy with a qualified CBT therapist

Russ does CBT help with false memories/Rumination? I’ve been trying to help myself while waiting, they were getting me stable enough for it...which wasn’t working haha

Lewis, rumination and reassurance seeking are two of my biggest compulsions, and I can say that so far it has significantly decreased the amount of time I’m analyzing in my head about things. I’m still early in the process so I have my moments, but yes it helps tremendously

I’m glad it’s helping! For a whole month and a half I was asking my family for reassurance, trying to remember the same scenarios over and over. Googling stuff today!! (A moment of weakness) Is there any advice you’d give while I’m waiting to start it?

Ha google is my number one reassurance compulsion! My advice is for the meantime try and remember a thought is just a thought, and try and sit with the thought whenever you get one and sit with the anxiety. It is uncomfortable but over time u will realize there is nothing to worry about. And stay off google as much as you can lmao

Thank you! It’s really difficult when it’s a ‘false memory’ so anything feels so real. It has been ruining my life. So going to try stop it! When the thought is there, do I just acknowledge it’s an ocd thought and sit with it? Do you say something to it?

In my head I say “That’s an OCD thought so I am choosing not to react to you” I feel like it’s helped to me? But don’t know if it’s wrong

Saying it’s not me it’s my ocd is not a helpful response because it leads to reassurance which is your enemy. Frame your answers in response to intrusive thoughts in the affirmative. “Yes! Another thought about (insert theme here). “This may be the thought that pushes me over the edge! I guess I’ll have to see what happens next! Not easy but you want to embrace uncertainty.

@Dejavu1325 I’ve been using Ali Greymonds advice? She says if it’s a ‘what if’ scenario then you say “it Didn’t happen, but whatever, if it’s true I’ll deal with it” Then if it’s a thought about the future or if it tells me I’m a terrible person I go “Yep! I’m a terrible person. Sure that’s going to happen! But I’m going to live my life” So I guess it’s kinda accepting uncertainty, but with sarcasm sort of?

Yes. But in the first example you are diluting the uncertainty by saying “it didn’t happen”. You’ve just kind of neutralized it there. I would replace that with “ it could have happened”

Read up on dr Phillip Stephenson. He’s an expert on how to deal with pure ocd mental obsessions and compulsions.

Oops the name is backwards. Stephen Phillipson

Hmmmm ok, my thoughts have really been getting to me. The tactic I’ve been using has helped a lot. Do you think changing that slightly will benefit me in the long run? As I’d be taking it head on. It’s just horrible to think that it could have happened. If you think/know this will help I’ll give it a go?

Well any exposures should be done under the supervision of a therapist. You have to go at your own pace and with your therapists guidance. If it’s working for you then great. I’ve Just been of the understanding that saying it’s not me it’s my ocd works for a bit then becomes another compulsion. You may not be ready for that type of vocabulary I mentioned at this point.

I’m on a waiting list for CBT at the moment, so they just left me to it with no advice. I’ve had to try find my own way of coping, I may stick to what I’ve been doing until I start CBT and they help me. It’s been keeping me stable and took me from 10/10 suicidal to around 5 or 6/10 I’m just not sure who to believe, I trust Ali’s advice for some reason

Do what works for you. Ocd is different for everyone. Exposures are different for everyone. If you found a good recipe that works keep it.