I just tried to do an exposure. I lasted my goal of five minutes but the whole time I was just obsessing. At the end of the five minutes I began performing my compulsions. Does it still count as an exposure if you succumbed to the compulsion like this? d a i s y

Username: MaxieMaxie

Date posted: 6y ago

Yes! Its the delaying of the compulsions that you’re supposed to exercise

Username: d a i s y d a i s y

Date posted: 6y ago

Thank you Maxie! Hopefully I’ll be one day able to stop performing compulsions all together! d a i s y

Username: d-mand-man

Date posted: 6y ago

Hey daisy, I’ve had this problem for the longest time, and not sure about this too. Personally, it felt like giving in to either were just different ways to manifest the ruminations, so I only count my successes when I have 5 mins of NEITHER Os or Cs. Of course if it’s too hard you can focus on one then the other, much like you have. The point is to step up in difficulty till you get to a point when you feel like it reasonably does not affect your daily living, so everything till that pt does count for progress.

Username: d a i s y d a i s y

Date posted: 6y ago

Hi d-man ? It’s so frustrating, isn’t it? Like I feel like I always make a little progress and then plateau completely. Even when I do manage to delay my compulsion, I spend the whole delaying period ruminating and obsessing so much that I cannot resist my compulsions. It’s exhausting. Oh well, just taking it one moment at a time. Thanks for always being here d-man! I’m so appreciative. d a i s y

Username: d-mand-man

Date posted: 6y ago

Yeah it really is. I often try and remind myself about the impact I am NOT able to make in the world when I’m too sucked into my own. It goes a little way in reminding me about the bigger picture. Hey, I say the same to you too ?

Username: d a i s y d a i s y

Date posted: 6y ago

I completely agree! We’re just teeny little specks in the universe. We’ll get through this :) d a i s y

Username: locustmoon

Date posted: 5y ago

How do you do exposures when doing them creates more compulsions and more anxiety?

Contamination OCD

Username: Stronger.

Date posted: 4y ago

Obsession or compulsion? I'm getting so confused. So normally something scary pops into my head and I start thinking about it. And I pull in other things, related things, or make it a lot worse than it it. I can think myself to the point of a panic attack. I thought this was a compulsion, because I can do it for hours and if I'm interrupted I have to start over. But I stop doing it because it does me no good and brings me to panic levels of anxiety. I'm really confused now because I'm starting ERP and the goal of exposure is to get myself really anxious. Well googling and ruminating is what makes me really anxious..... but it's also what I do for hours and can't stop... so.... what do I do? If I obsess and google to the point of a panic attack to "expose" myself then what? I would still just google and obsess. ? If I have the initial thought and just don't ruminate it just goes away and I'm no longer anxious. And that seems way too easy. I can't be doing this right.

Username: Anonymous

Date posted: 1y ago

Quick Question

Does going about your day while having intrusive thoughts and urges/sensations count as a exposure?

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I just tried to do an exposure. I lasted my goal of five minutes but the whole time I was just obsessing. At the end of the five minutes I began performing my compulsions. Does it still count as an exposure if you succumbed to the compulsion like this? d a i s y

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