erp not real

[peter117]

just done my first session of ERP for intrusive thoughts by myself and cant seem to make the scenario seem real enough to generate much anxiety. my treatment plan says this may happen at first but to just carry on repeating the ERP

isn't it a good thing though that I cant make a scenario make me anxious any more

[PolarBear]

What's the scenario Peter?

[peter117]

hello

its when I leave a coffee shop I have an anxiety attack, did I stab someone on my way out? usually the people sitting in the window as I passed them last.

with my therapist tried to build up a detailed image of the scene as I imagine it might have been but finding it difficult to make it seem real as I have been ok at resisting doing compulsions about this.

also my treatment manual says when you start ERP you may reveal obsessions you didn't know you had which I think may have happened and scares me off a bit about continuing but going to

 

Edited March 13, 2017 by peter117
extra obsessions

[Ashley]

23 minutes ago, peter117 said:

also my treatment manual says when you start ERP you may reveal obsessions you didn't know you had which I think may have happened and scares me off a bit about continuing but going to

Hi Peter,

What is the treatment manual you refer to?   I am not sure what is going on, but I assume you're are neutralising all the time, meaning the therapy won't be effective, so you may need to discuss this with your therapist.  Can you perhaps bring the thought on by writing down 'I stabbed the café customer' and looking at it every hour throughout the day?  But if you're neutralising again this wont help much, so you do need to speak to your therapist.

 

[peter117]

hello

The manual is one the therapist has compiled adapted from the reference Freeston & Ladouceur 1999: exposure and response prevention for obsessive thought. cognitive & behavioural practice. I went through a description of the thought and imagined outcomes from it with the therapist who suggested I record it to replay to myself continuously for at least 25minutes a day.

I do this and don't avoid the thought and sometimes pause the recording to fix an image in my mind but I don't feel very anxious and my mind often wanders off. The manual says this might happen and just to direct your mind back to the recording.

I will have to go through this with therapist to see if I am doing this correctly.

Thanks for the reply