What is it like to participate in ERP?
First, I filled out several questionnaires- Y-BOCS, DOCS, self-monitoring forms- to see how severe my OCD was, what I needed to work on, and how to proceed with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy.
Then, my therapist and I created a hierarchy- kind of like a pyramid that describes what to work on first.
After, with the help of my therapist, I created exposures, which are ways to introduce distress to a situation. Soon, I was able to habituate, or get used to, the distress, and I no longer felt like I had to do the compulsions!
Here is an example: One of my obsessions was that I accidentally left the stove on and had to check the burners until it felt “done”. My compulsion was to touch each of the burners (1, 2, 3, 4) and then stick my hand in the oven (5) to make sure that it was off as well. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…I stood in my kitchen for 45 minutes, crying, because I couldn’t leave the house unless I felt that it was safe- and it never was! My exposure was to decrease the amount of time that I check the burners and oven, then leave the house and sit in the car for 10 minutes.
The first time I decreased the amount of time checking the burners and stove to 30 minutes, I was TERRIFIED- sitting in the car, I sat with the distress. This was very difficult- my OCD was practically YELLING that I had to go back inside and check. But I was able to wait the full 10 minutes until I went back to my house. As time went on, the amount of time for checking the burners and stove decreased and the amount of time to wait in the car increased. The exposure therapy worked! I was able to leave my house without touching the burners and stove!
Over time, the exposures become more difficult, but easier to complete- as time went on, I was able to habituate- it was easier to “shake off” OCD and “sit with the distress”.
If you are thinking about starting ERP for OCD treatment, I am proud of you! It seems difficult and scary, but it definitely works!
If you are thinking of becoming an ERP therapist, I applaud you! There definitely aren’t enough ERP therapists and it is much needed. Also, many ERP therapists tell me it is very rewarding to treat OCD with ERP because the clients are often very motivated to actively participate in this type of therapy- they find the clients brave, willing, and motivated to get better!
