'Real' problems mean I need to do CBT and ERP quicker!

[Gemma7]

Has anyone ever had to deal with urgent everyday problems that ocd prevents you from sorting out so you have to do almost emergency ERP. I had this a little while ago with my car. It had a problem that needed urgent attention but I was really anxious about letting anyone touch everything in my car because of contamination issues. Anyway I did ERP on it and got it sorted but I had to do it faster than I would of naturally.

I now have other issues that will need me to make huge steps to overcome. Has anyone experienced this and how did you adapt your therapy for it? Also how did you deal with the stress of these important things hanging over you as I am finding that at night it just feels like this impending doom and it is so hard not to catastrophise.

Any advice or experiences shared would be appreciated.

[Jack Russell]

Hello Gemma, I have severe contamination OCD, for a number of years. What I find when I'm suddenly faced with an issue, is it can be easier to deal with. For the reason I don't have time to think about it. Problem comes after the event, when I have time to think.

An example I always give is I have an irrational fear of dog mess, which makes me avoid touching dogs. But I adore them, I am a huge animal lover, and if I saw a dog in the road about to get hit by a car, instinct would take over and I would grab the dog, fear of dog mess or not, I would save it's life.

It would be after the event, OCD would convince me I saved a life and now mine is at risk from contamination.

The only advice I can give is there will always be days when you have no choice,you are going to be contaminated. Your car is now contaminated yes, but you had no choice to get it done.

How to deal with after affects is hard, but what I have found over the years is, the more you contaminate yourself and your clean areas, the easier it becomes, might take a while to adjust,but it's worth it.

To quote a doctor, who's name escapes me, but you can goggle it is. "when everything is contaminated, nothing is contaminated". Meaning when everything is the same, you can no longer worry about keeping things clean, you will just adapt and accept the situation, whether it is clean or dirty.

That is how is try to deal with my OCD, I have good and bad days. Like you said, at night it feels like impending doom, it's a horrible feeling, but you just have to accept that sometimes can't avoid it. But gain peace of mind, that you are a good person, and you did the right thing that day.

Good luck Gemma.

[Gemma7]

Thanks jack Russell for your response. I will stick with the exposures I am doing for now and see how it goes :original:

[daisy]

Hi Gemma,i am so sorry i havn't answered to your post sooner,i was going to but didn't have anything to say that would help you,but i was still going to answer but had all this stuff going on here,i forgot that i hadn't said anything!

I have had the same as you regarding my car when it broke down,and i sat in it while the emergency mechanic was seeing to it(even though it was quite a while) but i just got out for a minute and he was in there like a flash!

I do find though that sometimes it is easier than knowing when something is going to happen,ie like iv'e known for weeks that the gas man is having to come in on Tuesday and i have had weeks to worry about it,the what if this and what if that etc,but i couldn't just let him in the other day as i hadn't got things ready for him!I just shook with fear not being able to open the door!

My problem is though that my anxiety just doesn't come down,so i have got to try and find a way to deal with that!

I hope that whatever it is that you have got to face won't be as bad as you fear.

I really can relate to you though,and am thinking of you xx

[Gemma7]

Thanks daisy, don't worry about not posting it can be really hard to give advice especially when you are in the same boat.

You point out a major problem though. What to do when you need something repaired and you can't let anyone in your house? Compulse to get them to come in or wait it out trying to do CBT as fast as you can hoping nothing goes wrong? Its hard.

Thanks for the reply again though xx