Does ERP help?

Im happy for u that u already have noticed a difference. I don’t live in the United States so I don’t think I can have a therapist on this app. I’m very desperate to get help. I feel very bad.

@HenryPosh Yes please. If you can and want to explain how i could start erp. It would be so nice of u and Im so sorry you need to go through all this

@Nicole1234 See if this helps. The point of an ERP is to trigger your anxiety. You want to start slow and build your way up. Your anxiety will spike, peak, then decline. The key thing when doing an exposure is not to do any type of physical or mental compulsion. Just sit in the anxiety. This is crazy hard and uncomfortable. You may need to do the exposure more than once. After you do the exposure rate your anxiety level from 1 which is low to 10. I can even go above 10. The goal is to get your peak anxiety down to a 1 or a 2. If you ending anxiety is 4 or above theans you need to do the exposure again. If you are doing it wrong, you will feel a significant decrease in your anxiety. If you don't feel like your anxiety going down you are probably doing some kind of compulsion. It could be something as simple as closing your eyes, tapping your knees like Henry mentioned. A compulsion is anything behavioral or mental you do to relieve your anxiety. Even something like taking a deep breath to try and relax yourself can be a compulsion. They can be hard to recognize. I do have a couple of physical compulsions like checking and counting. But the bulk of my compulsions are mental. So people aren't even aware I'm doing them. Does that make sense?

@Lms526 Thank you so much. I’ve been googling and I wrote up all my triggers and much more things and I have question. Some triggers is like physical so should I do it in like real life or do u understand what I mean haha? But still just be in my anxiety.

@Nicole1234 Nicole, there are two types of exposures in real life and written. For example, if you have something like harm or suicide OCD, you aren't going to want to do a real life exposure. One of my harm OCD themes is around knives. So I did an exposure with my therapist watching the movie Scream in 5 minute intervals. Worked great. You can also write out a script of you actually doing what you are afraid of. But its not a creative writing exercise. Then you read it to yourself or your counselor and then do ERP.

@Lms526 I understand. I have rocd and no counselor so I don’t know what to really do. For example I feel anxiety saying to my boyfriend that it is us forever or I feel anxiety from the thoughts “do I really love him?” … so it’s hard. But a little thing for example is that I’m scared to be around someone I’ve found handsome. Should I write down like “I found him attractive”… and then do what? I’m sorry for not understanding so well. I’m desperate and really trying. Sorry. Thank you for taking your time.

@Lms526 Like I feel like it’s going to be forced so I don’t get anxiety. If I sit and think and hope for anxiety. Agh I don’t know. But for example something that triggers me is to google relationships problems. Should I write it down and then google to win over the thoughts?

@Nicole1234 I don't have ROCD. Okay, so this is what I would do. So for the finding someone handsome. So imagine going up to a guy and telling him you think he's handsome. Write down the worst case scenario For example "I told Billy I thought he was handsome. He responded by laughing in my face, telling me I was ugly and destined to be alone for the rest of my life. He told me he wouldn't ask me out if I was the only girl left on the planet." Then he walked away still laughing. Then he told all his friends and they started pointing and laughing.. Pretend you are writing about something that really happened. Make it as realistic as you can. Then do ERP with that.

@Lms526 Thank you so much for the help! I really appreciate it.

@Nicole1234 No problem.

Can you tell me a little about your experience? :)

@Nicole1234 I have only taken 2 session of erp and my thrapist have given me some homework for ocd to write my thoughts.First she made heighearchy for my ocd .Today i will taking 3rd session .I am currently on meds of ocd so it helps me alot and i believe erp will help me get out my meds .

@Nicole1234 Which subtype of ocd do you suffer with

@luckyklyist That’s so good for you! I suffer from rocd, and u?

@HenryPosh I don’t know how to found a good therapist for this. I’ve been thinking to do the ERP by myself but maybe that’s a bad idea.

@Nicole1234 I suffer with harm ocd ,pocd ,rocd ,magical thinking

@Nicole1234 Doing by yourself is possible but it will be very hard for you

@HenryPosh Okey. Maybe I try to do the ERP on this app :)