How long should you do ERP? I have the best luck it seems with writing short stories about my husband and my worst fears (marrying him being a mistake, never knowing for sure if he’s “the one”, never feeling better and being miserable my entire life.” Sometimes I read it just a couple times and my anxiety is very high and after just a couple times through, I feel “normal.” Is this a sign to move on to something different or should I keep exposing myself to it? Also, I tend to get anxiety when I realize the story isn’t scaring me anymore. How can I do exposures to tackle that giant?

My therapist told me I should be doing my ERP therapy every day. She said to start with a few mins and work up to spending 10-15 mins each time in the therapy. She said I should be doing this daily until I no longer have the same intense fight or flight response. Ocd can be like a wack a mole, if you’re having anxiety about no longer having anxiety create an ERP short story about that?

FYI I also have ROCD and I have the same intrusive thoughts about my fiancé. I totally understand. Stick with it!

Thank you and congratulations on your engagement! It is genuinely the hardest thing I have ever experienced. I was in a dark hole almost 3 months ago when this started and had to be put on medication. Now I’m convinced that any good moments I have is because of the medication and not the work I’ve put in. I just want to get off this roller coaster and feel like myself again. I got married September 19th of this year and there is so much guilt inside of me for having these thoughts. Getting married in the midst of ROCD was so hard. 😞

@Jeanie12 Being engaged with ROCD is so hard as well, so I FEEL you. I have these big fears about my ocd ruining it and scaring me away from it. Did you feel that way while engaged?

@MoMo-OCD I absolutely did. It didn’t happen until about a month before the wedding. We were engaged for about a year. I had a thought that I found someone else attractive and I’ve been spiraling ever since. Definitely the worst thing I have ever experienced. I just want to feel normal. Feels like it’s impossible to be happy again.

@Jeanie12 I’ve had those thoughts too. I’ve tried everything - but sticking consistently to ERP is the only thing that sounds like will work. I seek reassurance from my best friend often and I think I’m just making it worse on myself. You’re not alone!

Everyday or every other day.

Guys am stuck with unreasonable hate towards my partner 😭😭😭😭 idk why whenever we have a little argument or IDK my brain just go into hating her and say mean stuff to her 😭😭😭

I’m so sorry, I feel for you. ROCD is so so hard. I have not starting my ERP yet, so I do not have any advice for you but just wanted to encourage you to keep pushing!

generally we ask that people continue to do an exposure until they have habituated or experienced about a 50% reduction in their anxiety before moving on. before crossing off exposures/moving onto something else entirely i would want to be sure that someone is not ritualizing through that exposure, that they're kind of bored of it, and that they do not necessarily want to move on from it - meaning if they WANT to get rid of that exposure then we keep it. all in the favor of doing the opposite of what the ocd wants to do. does that help?