Re: What's ERP? and prozac

[Guest guest]

Hi Becky, the ERP is for Exposure & Response Prevention (or exposure & ritual

prevention, as I've sometimes seen it). That (ERP) along with CBT (Cognitive

Behavioral Therapy) is the recommended therapy/treatment for OCD. It works.

With the social stuff, role playing will help. But does seem like therapist

isn't addressing any OCD. Has his medication worked well on the OCD stuff?

>

> Hey ladies,

>

> I'm reading your posts and wondering what ERP therapy is? We just switched

therapists a few months ago. Our PhD psychologist just seemed to be playing

games too and we weren't getting anywhere with

[Guest guest]

>>I'm reading your posts and wondering what ERP therapy is?

ERP is " Exposure and Ritual (or Response) Prevention " and is widely used to

treat OCD. Wit OCD the Obsession (maybe it's germs) invokes a lot of stress.

To relieve that stress the child may engage in a ritual (perhaps it's

handwashing). The ritual does, indeed, relieve the anxiety temporarily but, in

the long run, that backfires because the fear of germs continues to induce

anxiety which encourages more handwashing. The temporary relief intensifies the

need to engage in the ritual.

ERP exposes the child to their fear in a small way at first -- maybe just

looking at a source of germs. They feel the anxiety rise and they feel the need

to go wash but aren't allowed to. They are forced to wait and feel the anxiety

rise and then, eventually fall, without engaging in the ritual. They eventually

learn that the anxiety will eventually go down even without washing.

That's just an example but that's how it works in our daughter's case. When and

OCD fear/reaction comes up we nip it in the bud by changing the ritual reaction.

We have noticed that a lot of her " habits " are actually " OCD rituals " so we

build some " ritual prevention " by mixing things up a bit. If she goes bananas

because I wouldn't let her kiss my left cheek and then my right . . . well, we

know we've hit on an OCD ritual! They seem to come up all the time and we don't

even know what the " fear " is but we know it's lurking there somewhere. Often

it's something to do with " I have to kiss mommy just this way or a tornado will

hit our house! " . . . in February in Colorado. It doesn't have to be something

logical.

Sorry so long but that's ERP . . . at least in our experience.

Beth

[Guest guest]

Very good example Beth!

Wanted to add that even with " mental " or thoughts type OCD, there is usually

something they do (maybe not physically obvious) to relieve the anxiety, so

there is some ritual/compulsion/action to the thought to relieve the anxiety.

Easy example for me, has a bad thought so he prays.

>

> >>I'm reading your posts and wondering what ERP therapy is?

>

> ERP is " Exposure and Ritual (or Response) Prevention " and is widely used to

treat OCD. Wit OCD the Obsession (maybe it's germs) invokes a lot of stress.

To relieve that stress the child may engage in a ritual (perhaps it's

handwashing). The ritual does, indeed, relieve the anxiety temporarily but, in

the long run, that backfires because the fear of germs continues to induce

anxiety which encourages more handwashing. The temporary relief intensifies the

need to engage in the ritual.

[Guest guest]

Our therapist does use some other techniques also, but can't recall at the

moment what they are called.  I'll have to ask her about ERP.   The SSRIs have

helped tremendously with the obsessions.  However, we have had a few big flare

ups. 

 

In 5th grade my son saw the Transformers movie and wouldn't sleep in his room

for 6 weeks.  He was afraid something was going to come through the floor and

get him.  It subsided overnight, just like it came on overnight. 

 

Thanks for the info!

 

Becky in North Dakota