Therapy

[JKM]

Hi,

I got diagnoised with OCD and Anxiety a year ago. Tried different types of medication and just gone back to one I've already been on. I've waited 9 months for therapy. Started therapy for 5 weeks then had to change therapists because of the Covid situation. I've just had my 6th session with my new therapist but I'm struggling to get along with her. But I don't know if this is more me and the barrier I have up or if she's not the right one for me. Today we were talking about my obsession and compulsions with plugs. I can't leave the house with anything switched on. I stand and look at the plugs, count to three while clicking my fingers and nodding my head. She said to me that by my session next week she would like me to leave the house without checking the plugs. I said that I think that step is too big. I'm almost 28 and I've been doing this for a long time so to suddenly change is a hard concept to get. And she kept questioning if I'm going to try it out not and I kept saying that of course I am because I want to get better however it's not that easy and she said it's simple, I just have to do it. I said I need to know the steps in order to get to that point and she said there are no steps, you just have to do it.

This has made me feel really uncomfortable and I don't know if this is what therapy is meant to be like or not. I feel really stuck right now in processing each session emotionally and mentally and trying to accept this is me right now.

Thank you for reading. 

[PolarBear]

Overcoming OCD is fairly simple but it is not easy! I think your therapist is pushing you too far, too fast.

You do five things around plugs:

1. Make sure nothing is plugged in.

2. Stare at them.

3. Count to three.

4. Nod your head.

5. Click your fingers.

A less stressful way to get to where your therapist wants you to be is to break things down and attack each component one at a time. It's deconstructing a complex compulsion.

So, next time you leave the house, do everything but click your fingers. And you really have to force yourself not to do it. Your anxiety will rise. That's okay. It's normal. It will go down on its own.

Keep doing that until you are no longer anxious skipping the clicking. Might take two days or a week.

Then, stop the next part, nodding your head. You do the same thing again, only skipping clicking your fingers and nodding your head. Once that is okay, drop counting to three, then drop staring at plugs, then finally stop checking to see that nothing is plugged in.

This takes longer but can be more successful because you are taking on smaller challenges. And each accomplishment will make it easier to move to the next challenge.

And don't forget the Cognitive part of CBT. You have to start realizing that staring, clicking, counting and nodding do absolutely no good and there is no need to unplug everything before you go out.

Remember, OCD always lies.