- Username
- Rozzie
- Date posted
- 545d ago
- "Pure" OCD
- Suicidal OCD
This is my first and biggest theme up to this day, it started for me about 2 years ago. Everything you said I completely relate to. Honestly what has the most is doing ERP. I started about a year and a half ago and it helped a ton. It still shows up for me but not to the level of intensity or frequency as before. My advice would be to, if you’re not already doing so, connect with a therapist who does ERP. Regardless of the subtype, OCD is treated the same - exposing ourselves to our fears/triggers and not doing any compulsions whatsoever. It’s hard and takes time, but it’s so worth it. OCD creates a ton of doubts, it’s just the nature of it. But we have to learn to be okay with these doubts, to be okay with the uncertainty of “maybe, maybe not, regardless I continue on”. You’re absolutely not alone in this, I’m right there with you 💛
I have a therapist who doesn't specifically trained for ERP but he does know how to do it and how it works, and is still helping me do it. I am doing some self guided ERP rn (I wrote an exposure and read it every night three times. I sometimes don't really get a reaction which scares me). I've considered buying (and my therapist thinks it would be a good idea) Nathan Peterson's online OCD self guided course too.
@Rozzie Seems like you are on the right track. Be very aware and make sure all compulsions are being cut during exposures, there have been many on the way where I wasn’t aware I was doing them and had to learn. Keep up the exposures, sharpen other tools such as mindfulness, and you are on the right path!