mamabeloved
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
EightiesGirlEightiesGirl
- Date posted
- 4y
I was the same way for months! Have you tried breaking up exposures into baby steps? I find that it's helpful to take things slowly (rather than not doing ERP at all). Example: I have a ritual when I treasure my daily medication that involves washing my hands at 3 separate intervals for 60 seconds each time. My first step is to reduce each time to 40 seconds. Once I can handle that, I'll reduce to 30 seconds, and once I can handheld that, I'll continue to cut back so that eventually I can take my medicine, wash my hands once for a reasonable amount of time, and move on Werth my day. Breaking things down still challenges our OCD, but it's doable and not as scary as just diving in 100%. I have had success doing this, though my progress is slow. Better than staying stuck though! I believe in you and *know* to can do hard things. Best to you. 😊
EightiesGirlEightiesGirl
- Date posted
- 4y
*take, not treasure.
mamabeloved mamabeloved
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
That’s a good idea. I think sometimes I judge myself for having OCD in the first place and think I should just be able to do the hard exposures and get over this already. But when I’m actually facing it, it just feels so tough.
Lms526Lms526
- Date posted
- 4y
ERP is never going to be easy. It is hard and uncomfortable. But you get out of it what you put into. So when you do an exposure your anxiety will surge, peak, and decline. You have to do the exposure more than once. The key with ERP is not doing a compulsion during or after the exposure. Doing so will make the exposure ineffective. ERP is the best way to achieve recovery from OCD. But you are going to have to fight for it. You can do this. Its okay to be scared. Better do to the exposure afraid than not at all.
mamabeloved mamabeloved
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
Thank you. Yes, I think that’s what I’m dealing with. I’m at a crossroads, wondering if I’m going to fight for this or not. Both seem super hard. But I know I don’t want to live in debilitating fear anymore, so maybe ERP is worth it.
Lms526Lms526
- Date posted
- 4y
@mamabeloved It is totally worth it. But you will have to fight for it.
Bay YenBay Yen
- Date posted
- 4y
Please read this article on how ERP helps in the treatment of OCD. It explains how exposures help to change the brain and enable sufferes to change behaviours & emotion. https://beyondocd.org/expert-perspectives/articles/self-directed-treatment-for-ocd-the-irony-of-doing-the-opposite
mamabeloved mamabeloved
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 4y
Thank you!
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AmandaB345
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 21w
Rocd encouragement
Hi all!! Its been a while since I've been in here and typically I come on here to give advice and encouragement which i still plan to do but i really need encouragement right now. I typically deal with so-ocd but right now its taking a back seat or just disappearing ( which I'm not complaining) but now my rocd is really coming in thick and heavy and Im overly anxious but i have had panic attacks to the thoughts and its just been heavily attack me on my feelings towards my bf. I love this man with my literal whole being and I want to marry him and I know he feels the same cause we have had discussions on marriage. But lately and idk if its because of my period starting (sorry tmi) and all the hormones but i can't feel my emotions all that well, and the thoughts are constantly telling me i don't love him, i don't want to talk to him which are all false me and him are long distance rn which is hard but we push through it. I really hate these thoughts and all it makes me want to do is scream and cry. Like i said not overly anxious but definitely just want to scream and cry and of course cause Im not overly anxious my ocd picks up on that says oh see your not anxious with that so it must be true. I'm just hot mess y'all:( But anyways word of encouragement keep pushing y'all all got this and Im proud of every single one of you!!
Anonymous
- Date posted
- 16w
Encouragement Needed!
Hello everyone! Just wanted to see if I can get some encouragement, hope, and love from the community tonight. I have been having racing thoughts and for years I thought the loudest most repetitive one's were just GAD or denial. OCD is scary and I am trying to get back into my hobbies. I am just exhausted and sad.
Anonymous 25#
- Date posted
- 12w
Anyone?
Hey everyone it’s been a while since I posted on here. Honestly, I try to stay off of this app unless I really need advice because I find it triggering at times. But right now I’m feeling pretty down and just would like some hopeful and helpful advice. Has anyone ever felt like they’re just not capable of getting out of this? Has anyone ever felt like ERP therapy isn’t working or that they just can’t get it’s a click? . I’ve been in ERP therapy for over a year just about a year and a half actually and I literally feel so stagnant and stuck still. I show up every week I do my exposures, but my body is in such a chronic fight or fight all the time that it feels almost impossible to apply the tools. I’m super sensitive to begin with and I feel things very deeply and because of that it feels like I’m not gonna be able to ever change. It feels like no matter what I do or experience I’m just gonna always feel it so deeply and it’s gonna just rattle me all of the time. I’m honestly so frustrated. I’m tired and I’m overwhelmed. I so badly wanna change these patterns that I have and grow and be out of this OCD spiral, but everything just feels impossible. I’m just wondering if I’m alone here?? Has anyone ever felt this way? Has ERP taken a long time for anyone else or am I the only one that just can’t get my brain to click with it? Any encouraging and helpful words would be greatly appreciated thank you 🙏
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