anon222
- Date posted
- 3y
Arranf23Arranf23
- Date posted
- 3y
Sometimes the feelings and the thoughts will make you think you’ve found “certain” proof of your fears - but it’s ocd playing tricks and trying to latch on anyway it can- as painful and hard it is you have to keep not doing the compulsions
Fran223Fran223
- Date posted
- 3y
That’s totally normal you just have to sit with the anxiety and overtime you’ll become less anxious over the thoughts. I’m still recovering as well but I have made some improvement since I started.
Maybe,MaybeNotMaybe,MaybeNot
- Date posted
- 3y
I just say maybe, maybe not it works better for me
Fran223Fran223
- Date posted
- 3y
Yeah definitely I was like that when I started recovery work five months ago. But now that I’m more relaxed when feeling/thinking the thoughts I start to make up scenarios why they’re true. My therapist overtime told me to Do it as I got used to it
Lms526Lms526
- Date posted
- 3y
ERP is crazy hard. But affirming the OCD thought is true is a compulsion. Doing any type of compulsion during or after an exposure will render it ineffective. Just sit with your anxiety and let your anxiety do its thing. It will spike, peak, and then decline. You may have to do the exposure more than once. I usually have to do mine 3 or 4 times in a row before my anxiety gets down low enough.
Fran223Fran223
- Date posted
- 3y
@sophiesim22 That’s what I’ve been told, but of course you do this in a Sarcastic way. It shows the thoughts you don’t fear them.
Arranf23Arranf23
- Date posted
- 3y
A good way to respond to the thoughts no matter what they are, is to say things like - “ I choose not to figure that out” or “ I’m not going to answer that” that’s what my therapist has told me. It works because you end up not doing the compulsions It doesn’t matter if the ocd makes you think you have worked it all out or found prooof if you’re fears, keep using responses like this and not doing the compulsions is the way forward
Maybe,MaybeNotMaybe,MaybeNot
- Date posted
- 3y
Super helpful advice
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- Date posted
- 16w
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- Date posted
- 16w
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I’m thinking about doing erp but my ocd is so severe the thought of accepting my fears happening to me makes me sick to my stomach. I also believe in the power of my words and saying I accept this Bad thing will attract it into my life. I’m not sure what I should do🥲
hbocd
- Date posted
- 15w
ERP Therapy
I read about ERP and have seen information about it on here. One of the goals is to say, "maybe I am this or that...ect." That terrified me. The thoughts and images that go in my head are disturbing and upsetting. I don't want to even think about saying, "maybe this or that." It's devasting to have these thoughts and question why you're having these thoughts. Doesn't the "maybe" make it worse? The one thing that helps me is that is to remind myself that these are just thoughts and I know I'm not a monster, even if I feel like one. Is ERP not for everyone? Has anyone else had a problem with the techniques used in this kind of therapy? I had cognitive therapy for years with an OCD specialist and that seemed to help a lot. Writing out the worst case scenarios would make me suicidal. Im having a difficult time not obsessing over the "maybe" after intrusive thoughts now. It doesn't make it better.
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