Exposure - response prevention therapy

[marcb]

I'm trying ERP therapy on my own. Does anybody have any experiences they can share?

Thanks. MArc

 

[gracealone]

I'm trying ERP therapy on my own. Does anybody have any experiences they can share?

Thanks. MArc

Just that it's very hard. And that you must expect setbacks - that two steps forward one step back type of thing. Also that it can make you feel worse at first.
I have to allow the feeling of anxiety to just be there as well as the thoughts and then say "so what". I had to do the same thing with my Panic Disorder. I had to accept the panic attacks, ride them out, then just get on with my day without obsessing about when and if the next one would come. I have to do the same thing with driving which triggers my panic attacks. I expect to have panic attacks when I drive. But the more I drive the more habituated my brain will be to the activity and therefore eventually stop overreacting to it by giving me a panic attack. This is hard and sometimes exhausting work, so don't try to do it all at once. Baby steps are fine as long as they are headed in the right direction.
Still praying for you Marc. Thanks again for all your wise and helpful insight. It really blesses and encourages me.
Mitzi

 

[marcb]

Thanks for your insight, Mitzi.

I am pretty much an all or none kinda personality. I bring out some pretty horrific thoughts when I try the therapy. Did you find that you would sometimes willfully expose yourself to your ultimate fearful thoughts? My fear, which is probably normal, is that I will get too cozy with the thoughts and they'll just be there like a broken record. On the other hand, that sounds pretty unlikely. Theologically it doesn't make sense either, since God makes us who we are.

I feel better today. Yesterday was kinda like a nightmare. I was watching our Christmas play at church and totally immersed in a spike. I am also way down on my meds, because I just got tired of having the same problems despite taking the meds. I was like an ocd zombie. I feel more myself (for better or worse) on a lower dose. But I feel prompted to really take the mask off this ugliness and fight it.

I've heard that's when people get serious about ERP therapy. When they've decided they've had enough. That's me. Meds alone did not do alot for the ocd, but thankfully they got me out of a pretty significant depression.

Thank you for your prayers. Marc

 

[QUannie]

Marcb,
In the book "The Obsessive Compulsive Trap " he has a part in the book about ERP. In the book he strongly suggest not to do it on your own, the anxiety/fear/worry can become so intense that the OCD patient really needs back up in those times. He also gives allot of ideas for the critical interval time. I am not saying you would not be able to do it on your own, I also like to take things on ,on my own, it is hard to explain what goes on in our head with others, I know, I do allot of my battling on my own. Just be careful, God can get you through anything!!!! He will be the One with you!!! God bless you brother...we all are here for you!

Q

I prayed for you, please keep us posted on how you are!!!

 

[marcb]

Has anyone felt just totally evil during their experiences with exposure-response prevention therapy? I feel that once I engage in this, the flood gates open and I am just inviting the worst possible thoughts. I am hanging on by the Grace of God, but what a sick thing that my mind can probably make George Cartlin blush....

 

[QUannie]

Marcb,
you left a post in another thread that asked for theraputic help. I hope this helps, in the book OCD trap he suggest tools for the critical interval like
1. memorize scripture. He suggest Josh. 1:9;Numb. 13 & 14;Philipp. 4:6-7;Luke 8:25.
2.Visualization and Imagery. Like picturing the above scriptures in your mind. Visualize what your life would be like free from OCD.
3. Distraction. engaging with pets surfing internet, reading ect. any activity that takes your mind off the obsessive thought.
4. Have a supportive coach available. Someone to encourage through the critical time.
5. Journal. Write and do some self talk. Remind yourself getting free from OCD is worth a few minutes of anxiety, and it gets weaker and you get stronger.

I hope this was not re-assuring your OCD.....I am only suggesting what was in the book for exposure response therapy.
I prayed for you.

Q

 

[Skunk]

i will keep you in my prayers marcb as with this whole board. QUannie had some great suggestions. Another really awesome book that has helped me deal and fight my ocd more than the dozens of different meds ive tried is the book Brain Lock. Really easy to read, and some good stories, but most of all it has a really good technique for ignoring and supressing the ocd.
i hope this thread doesnt seem like an ad, just ive read a few different books and this one has been the best for me and recommended by a few different councelors/nurses. you can find it on amazon or something for real cheap.

 

[HeatherG]

Marc,

I am also praying for you as you take on the giant of OCD through your therapy. We are all standing with you in this battle.

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14

Praying for His almighty power to fill you and make you strong for the fight. You're doing great. And I'm really excited about the end result when you have gone through the ERT. Keep your eyes on that goal!

Heather

 

[marcb]

You all are so kind praying for me in this. I think I've avoided this fear for much of my life, and I'm tired of it defining me. I know since it is so engrained, it will take some time, struggle, and lots of prayer.

Even when everything was turning into a "nightmare" yesterday, I knew what was true. I could not feel it. In fact, I felt the opposite. With God's help and your prayers I will be strong.

God bless you all, my brothers and sisters.

Marc

 

[gracealone]

HI Marc,
When I went down little by little on one of my meds. I had a bad OCD day too. I think it's common to have this happen.
I think it's important that when you slip up so to speak and begin the obsessing cycle that you don't dwell on it and just keep pressing forward. It takes patience and practice but most of all it takes lots of courage to allow the feelings of uncertainty and anxiety to just be there and to quit trying to make them go away.
Did you ever see the movie "Beautiful Mind"? In it the main character John Nash learns to live with his scizophrenia by ignoring the characters that his hallucinations produce. If he began to interact with them or engage them in conversation they would then take over his mind and he would live in the phantasmal nightmare of his waking dreams.
I think this is a very good analogy to what we with OCD have to learn to do also. The phantoms of our OCD will do their level best to haunt us but we have to willfully just turn away from them and ignore then no matter how uncomfortable they make us or how much they insist on us attending to them.
If you find that you continue to feel worse off your meds. you might want to go back up just a tad and then back down much more gradually.
Praying for you my friend.
Mitzi

 

[gracealone]

Thanks for your insight, Mitzi.

Did you find that you would sometimes willfully expose yourself to your ultimate fearful thoughts? My fear, which is probably normal, is that I will get too cozy with the thoughts and they'll just be there like a broken record.
Hi Marc,
Yes this is the main fear I think we all have is that by our not fighting the thoughts, by letting them in we will be stuck with them forever. But actually what we are trying to do is to get the primitive fight or flight center of our brain used to their presence without engaging the other part of our brain by fighting against them. We actually are trying to habituate our brain to them so that it won't continue to have a freaking out fit of anxiety over them.
Always remember that our feelings do not validate or nullify the work of Christ on the cross for us. They just don't have that kind of power even though they can make us feel as if they do.
Blesings, Mitzi