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Facing Fears


Guest abb22

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Guest abb22

On the days when I feel more confident in facing OCD head on, I sometimes wonder if I should face the triggers that I avoid. For me, these include TV programmes/articles/YouTube videos etc.

Would doing this benefit me in any way? Thinking about watching them obviously makes me feel anxious, however I feel like avoiding them is just putting the problem off for another day. I am on a waiting list for OCD group therapy, where I understand they teach exposure techniques; but I don't know whether starting it on my own will do more harm than good.

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Guest Kelpie

For me I found doing it with the support much better. I used to try on my own but just couldn't do it. Once I had started doing it with the treatment team it gave me the strength to try it alone and I cope much better.

It really different for each person. When I'm on my own, in between sessions, I expose myself to the 'easier' rituals and anxieties.

Maybe if you have something that is lower down on the stress and anxiety levels you could try it. Don't start with the difficult ones though. Start small :)

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Yes I think starting to do exposures and trying to get rid of ocd would benefit alot. The important thing is to start off really small. You will know best what the most minor thing to tackle first is. Maybe just go on to YouTube and then come off or put on the TV for a few minutes on a programme you want to watch and then switch off.

The key with exposures is to go in knowing you are not going to compulse at all. Expect the anxiety to go up then come down gradually. I find the worst part is the anticipation of the exposure not the exposure itself.

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Guest mynameisian

Also important is to not let the exposures turn into compulsions in themselves. This sounds obvious, but i have done plenty of exposures where i then realised that i have actually been checking how i feel about the exposure. Which is essentially jusy a compulsion. So the treatment becomes part of the problem if not done correctly. Thats why i think a good therapist is important to guide you in noticing yourself getting drawn into compulsions (which is something i find myself doing a lot without even realising it straight away)..

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You can do exposures on your own but you have to do them right. Exposing yourself is only half the battle. The other part is not performing compulsions. You expose yourself and then practice not performing compulsions. That's the whole point of exposure therapy -- to trigger yourself so that you can practice, in a controlled setting, sitting with the anxiety while refraining from compulsions. You do it over and over again for a given exposure until you barely get a rise out of your anxiety and then you move on to the next exposure. And yes, you should start with something that won't raise your anxiety level too much and work up the list to harder and harder exposures.

A good therapist will figure out what your triggers are and help you develop a hierarchy of them so you can start near the bottom of the list (those that cause minor/moderate anxiety) and work your way up to the more difficult triggers.

Edited by PolarBear
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