- Date posted
- 3y
- Date posted
- 3y
I was afraid ERP wouldn't work for me either. But it does. It has been life changing for me. So first, your counselor will help you set up your hierarchy. You will use this to do exposures. You start slow and build your way up. Your counselor will be there to support and guide you. So the key to ERP is not to do any type of physical or mental compulsion during or after the exposure. Before they exposure, you will rate your anxiety level. As you do the exposure, your anxiety will go crazy. It will feel like an eternity, but it only lasts a couple minutes. Then your anxiety will peak then decline. If you ending anxiety is 4 or above, that means you need to do the exposure again. Your ending anxiety should be 1 or 0. You will definitely know when your anxiety is down where it needs to be. Ibhave harm OCD and pure OCD as well. I'm not going to tell you ERP is easy. Its terrifying and incredibly uncomfortable. The urge to do a compulsion can be so strong. It won't happen overnight and it will take hard work. But the anxiety relief you get from ERP is long lasting. The relief you get from doing a compulsive is very short lived. Hope that helps.
- Date posted
- 3y
Thank you so much. Its horrible isn't it. I need to do whatever has to be done to help this as it is ruining every day now and I want want enjoy my life again. One of my problems is I don't know what my compulsions are (which again makes me think well it's not ocd then if you don't have compulsions your just evil!) I have noticed my intrusive thoughts are worse when I'm not with my family. I have to put something infront of my door at night to 'stop me doing something in my sleep' and have to say 'see you in the morning to my daughter before she goes to sleep' otherwise something bad will happen. Are these compulsions? X
- Date posted
- 3y
Yes. A compulsion is anything you donto try to relieve your anxiety. They can be physical or mental. I haveva few physical compulsions, like checking and counting. But the majority of mine are mental. Things like when your mind spins into whatifs, avoidance, rumination, critiquing everything you do over and over. Even things like prayer can be a compulsion.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
ERP does work well. It is natural to be nervous. The therapists here at NOCD are awesome. They have heard everything before. Congratulations on taking the first step to recovery. We are all here for you.
- Date posted
- 3y
Agreed!
- Date posted
- 3y
Thank you both. I really hope it works/helps. Take care of yourselves too! Zx
- Date posted
- 3y
One last thing...don't be afraid to be honest about your intrusive thoughts. I have harm OCD and suicide OCD. I was terrified to tell my therapist about some of my intrusive thoughts. I thought for sure I was going to end up going to jail or involuntary commitment. When I told her, her expression didn't even change.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 3y
You have got this
- Date posted
- 3y
It also makes me question my love for my family which is absolutely heartbreaking but it makes me think maybe you don't actually love them and that's why your having these thoughts as you actually want to do them. š
- Date posted
- 3y
Thank you for all your advice its very much appreciated! I'm going to schedule a call when I'm home alone Wednesday and get this started! Time to get better and start living my life with my family properly again. Thanks again x
- Date posted
- 3y
Good for you! That attitude will take you a long way. You got this. I'm so proud of you! Taking that first step is scary, but you won't be sorry you did. My therapist through NOCD is amazing
- Date posted
- 3y
@Lms526 I hope I can stay brave! š Does yours ever make you question your love/feelings? Xx
- Date posted
- 3y
@Amanda1988 I don't really have that theme.
- Date posted
- 3y
A couple of weeks ago I had an intrusive thought involving suicide it really scared me as I hadn't had it before and thought I was becoming suicidal so I called my gp and he panicked and arranged for a home care team to come round (I think this is to stop you going into hospital and check on your children's saftey) it really upset me and I had to explain to him its a intrusive thought so yes I am a bit more hesitant about what I say. I guess that's why these guys are so good and ocd specialists as they know its ocd and not what we want to do (even if ocd tells us otherwise!) I have woken up this morning with terrible thoughts again :( What if this isn't ocd, what if this is delusions and I'm loosing hold of reality etc. Its getting harder I've got to say. Sorry for going on! Xx
Related posts
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 20w
Hi guys! Iām new to the community and Iāve recently received my OCD diagnosis (tho Iāve known about it since childhood). Iāve been somewhat spiraling lately as I wait for my first ERP session (hooray!) I was just wondering if any of you guys have received ERP for existential OCD and if it was successful? My existential OCD compulsions are more so mental and have been affecting me in the sense of dream/memory flashbacks and giving me a sort of āuncannyā feeling about everything around me. Any advice is appreciated! Thank youā¤ļø
- User type
- Therapist
- Date posted
- 20w
So you got to ask me anything⦠Now Iād like to ask you something! Iāve heard from Members that they were so scared coming to their first ERP session. They were terrified that I would think they were crazy, that I would tell them their worst fears were true. That I would confirm they are some form of a terrible person or have them hauled off to prison for their thoughts. Iāve also had Members share how theyāre very scared to begin ERP treatment because theyāve researched enough to know it means facing the fear, without the compulsions that have kept them feeling safe (but not really safe) this entire time. They struggled to see how they could be capable of doing this, while simultaneously acknowledging that they did not want to live like this anymore. If you have had your first session, what were your thoughts before? Did you have any hesitations or fears going into it? How did it turn out? If you havenāt yet begun to work with an ERP specialist, what is holding you back?
- Date posted
- 19w
Iām starting NOCD. I had several years of cbt as a child (well over 20 years ago) and I see a trauma therapist. But now Iāll be seeking further help for OCD and just really scared. CBT wasnāt helpful for me. How has ERP been helpful for you? Do you feel like youāll finally get your life back? Iām consumed by my obsessions š¢ Would love others feedback if ERP helped you ā¤ļø
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