Pure O exposure????

[Monkeygirl]

I know the term pure O is a bit incorrect but as someone who has constant intrusive thoughts of a 'retroactive jealousy' (thoughts regarding a partners past relationships) I am stuck as to what I can do for exposure..... ? My triggers can be anything from hearing a name to reference to a place, films with any kind of romance or sexual act in or even old photos.... these triggers will lead to constant 'figuring out' or mental movies and an immense need to ask my partner question after question and the need for reassurance. 

If anyone has had any kind of cbt/exposure therapy which may help me I would be REALLY grateful 

[PolarBear]

ERP works for all types of OCD. You need to understand that exposures are only part of ERP. The other part is Response Prevention, which means not doing compulsions.

So, watch a romantic movie (exposure) and work hard to not do your usual compulsions (ruminating, reassurance seeking, etc.) Do this over and over again until that type of movie doesn't bother you.

This will work with other triggers too.

[gingerbreadgirl]

I think when looking for exposure exercises have a good look at the things that trigger you - in your case films, photos, places and I'm sure there are other things (smells? pictures?).  Write out as many of these that you can think of, then order them in terms of much they scare you.  The key is you then work your way up the list confronting these triggers one by one, starting with the least scary, doing it repeatedly until it no longer scares you, then moving up to the next.

As PB says though - it's very important that when doing these exposures you don't give in to safety behaviours.  So no ruminating, so checking, nor reassurance-seeking, nothing.  

[Monkeygirl]

Thanks gingerbread girl..... sounds a good plan..... I will start making a heirachy and work on the least affecting. Tbh mental movies are really tough.... not sure what to do to become unaffected by these.... maybe just bring it on n just  try to refocus on another task/action unrelated n see if they disapate? ??? 

Really good suggestions though.... thank you x

[Monkeygirl]

That's great polar bear. ... I never thought of erp like that..... I will definitely keep that in mind and get cracking watching romcoms!   Great help thank you so much x

[dksea]

@Monkeygirl - PB and GBG are spot on with their advice.  My OCD is also what is incorrectly described as "Pure-O", my compulsions are predominantly mental.  For me the Four Steps method from Brain Lock worked well, its very similar to the ERP approach PB describes.  You recognize the intrusive thought (relabel), you remind yourself that it bothers you because of OCD (reattribute), you shift your thinking back towards what you were doing and away from compulsive responses (refocus) and you're brain will learn to treat it as meaningless background noise (revalue).  Basically when I'd notice I was starting to analyze/ruminate/mental movie about my obsession and I'd take a second to apply the steps and try and break the cycle.  At first I had to do it often, but in time it becomes easier/more automatic.

[Handy]

“C” is cognitive. It also needs attention. CBT is not just BT or behavior therapy. There is no medical condition called “Pure O” it’s just something a guy created  

Retroactive jealousies is quite a trip I must say. 

[Monkeygirl]

Thanks dksea. ... just read brain lock.... really helped me knowing how the brain is malfunctioning and the science behind ocd. ... the way schwartz explains the process of how the 4 steps works makes good sense.  It's really encouraging hearing it worked for you.... definitely giving it a really good go.... and yes 'handy' rj is real tough going..... for me and my bf too.....x

[Handy]

It’s tricky because CBT requires one avoid doing compulsions & you don’t have any physical compulsions to avoid. This is one reason it’s just an obsession. 

As I went through it once I found the best thing to do was not ask about their past. Resist the urge. 

[PolarBear]

That is entirely untrue, Handy. All people with OCD have compulsions. They can be overt, like washing your hands, or covert, like ruminating. Rest assured that she has compulsions.

 

[dksea]

On 04/09/2019 at 09:58, Monkeygirl said:

Thanks dksea. ... just read brain lock.... really helped me knowing how the brain is malfunctioning and the science behind ocd. ... the way schwartz explains the process of how the 4 steps works makes good sense.  It's really encouraging hearing it worked for you.... definitely giving it a really good go

Yeah, Brain Lock was a turning point for me as well.  I liked the four steps method because it worked really well for my mental compulsions and was straightforward and simple to apply.  I hope it works well for you too!

[dksea]

10 hours ago, Handy said:

It’s tricky because CBT requires one avoid doing compulsions & you don’t have any physical compulsions to avoid. This is one reason it’s just an obsession. 

100% false, as PB says there are also mental compulsions and non-overt compulsions.  Rumination, avoidance, reassurance seeking, etc.  Pure-O is a myth.

[paradoxer]

Even the guy who coined the name Pure O now concedes that it's essentially a misnomer. The term is OK as a cursory reference but shouldn't be taken too seriously, and yes, so-called Pure O is absolutely nothin g other than OCD.

Incidentally, for many OCD sufferers 'without visible compulsions', the disorder being how it is, invariably morphs. A reminder (though hardly necessary) that it's all the same thing. 

Edited September 5, 2019 by paradoxer

[Ashley]

6 hours ago, dksea said:

100% false, as PB says there are also mental compulsions and non-overt compulsions.  Rumination, avoidance, reassurance seeking, etc.  Pure-O is a myth.

Absolutely, there's almost always some form of checking compulsion taking place too. Just a couple of examples include checking for body sensations, checking for arousal, checking google, checking loves ones for reassurance.