What Is ERP for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

Noah didn’t care for ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) therapy despite his struggles with harm OCD. Stories that he had heard from acquaintances and friends were not positive. In fact, one of his friends felt traumatized by ERP. He also indicated that he was asked by his previous mental health counselor to sit in front of a bunch of knives so he could habituate or get used to the feelings and sensations the knives created. He said he had already been around sharp knives for three weeks while working at a knife shop temporarily while he looked for another job. His excruciating anxiety was off the charts. “I basically white-knuckled each day until I found a better job. I was exposed to knives all this time, and I’m still the same. ERP simply doesn’t work,” he claimed. What do you value in life? When Noah’s next therapist asked him, “What and who matters most in your life?” Noah indicated that all he cared about was to eliminate the intrusive thoughts and anxiety. It made sense to him as he believed that once he could control his thoughts and feelings, he could move on with life. Noah had put his life on halt believing that he could master his internal experiences (i.e., thoughts, memories, feelings, sensations, and urges) before he could strengthen his friendships, go back to school, date again, get married, and have a family. During treatment Noah learned that behaving towards internal events as if they were external ones was not effective. For example, h...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: OCD Treatment ERP exposure response prevention therapy Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Source Type: blogs