I want to speak to a therapist but I feel discouraged to even find free therapy, I don't live in US or UK so I can't get NOCD therapy 😔
Yes, it is possible. I've done it. It may not be as effective, but it helped me more than I can say. Obviously I'm here now and still need support for OCD, depression, and anxiety. But I was able to free myself from repetitive actions/compulsive magical thinking about 90-95% I'd say. It's about forcing yourself to feel the discomfort and lose the fear of it. If anything, do it yourself until you can get help. It might give you some relief at least, some control.
I have same problem. No help here.
There are a couple of really good online resources for doing ERP yourself. Try Kimberley Quinlan’s ERP School or Nathan Peterson’s OCD course. Each of these courses is about $200, which is less than the cost of two therapy sessions without insurance.
I don't have the money to afford that 😞
@PolarisJoy I understand it’s expensive and out of reach for many. Luckily there are lots of free resources on YouTube and Instagram. Definitely check out Nathan Peterson’s videos. Come to this forum for support if you ever feel like giving up on ERP.
@Orange-Colored_Glasses Thanks! I'll check them out afterwards. I was able to use the tools in this app and they gave me a devastating task of writing a story that can give me anxiety. Quite odd but I'll give it a try when I'm ready.
@good_day That's so great to hear! 😲
@PolarisJoy The purpose of exposures is to intentionally trigger the distressing thoughts so that you can practice experiencing them without doing compulsions. You can always start small - if a whole story is too triggering, maybe just write a list of words that trigger you. The idea is to start with exposures that are distressing enough to be relevant but not so distressing that you go into full panic mode - it’s harder to resist compulsions when you’re totally panicking. So great that you’re giving it a try!