24. OCD Treatment: 'Whatever OCD' - ERP ideas for obsessions about harming people

CBT therapist Katie d'Ath gives some ideas for exposing yourself to fears of harming.
Katie is co-author of "Dummies Guide to Managing OCD with CBT" and is passionate about demystifying OCD and helping people to access empirically based treatment.

[paulwinterbtopenwor]

Katie, you're great! Thank God there are people like you out there.

[lijmoo]

Your videos helped me learn so much about my OCD. For years I didn't know I had mental compulsions until you explained it so well. Thank you so much for helping me to manage my symptoms better.

[UNknown-sdki]

My heart goes out to those that have pedophilia and harm to others thoughts. You'll often cry yourself to sleep at night. Agree with you Katie on OCD latching on to things from present or past. I pretty sure taking your vitamins and having overall good health will not take away your OCD.

[Real_Iron_Smith]

This makes a lot of sense, actually. These aren't exactly my worries per se, but I recognize I have been avoiding a lot of activities I used to enjoy because I either associated them with intrusive thoughts or was worried of associating them with the things I enjoy. But this idea of purposely putting myself in these situations where I may have scary thoughts in order to learn that I am in control without worrying about them.
I will strive to incorporate this into my treatment!

[januarysson]

So glad you’re uploading more Katie! 👍🏻

Would love to see a video on OCD in the workplace.

[aleb]

I m 14 and I think I might have ocd thank-you for making these videos

[NFMG]

Thanks for this video, Katie! It’d be really helpful if you can make one like this for relationship ocd 🙏🏽

[specialjeffreyke]

Katie, would you have any tips to when you have thoughts with urges? I mean like thoughts that pop up and feel very commanding. Like the thought 'punch that person' or 'crash your car into that wall'. Those for me are the worst because you not only have the thought but your body makes it so real as if you are in real danger and the thought really could happen any moment. I've been having harm OCD for 5 years, and the urges are the worst.

Thanks for your great video's. <3

[indrakamalyadav]

Wow after nearly 5 year s good to see you

[tejaskashyap]

Hi Katie! You're doing great work

[vishaljames]

Mam thank you very much. you have saved lot of lives ❤️

[mochichimmy]

Hello!
I have one violent thought ( wishing harm on others) that keeps repeating over and over again. How can I do ERP for this?

[joshblannin]

Hi, I was wondering if you could you do an OCD Treatment video on responsibility OCD please? Many thanks

[doriithink]

Hi Katie, is it normal to not only have thoughts of harming others but also having urges to hurt others ?

[DamirSuban]

Hello, I think you are covering the topic in a great way, just enough explanations, not too little, not too much. Thank you for your effort. I have had some OCD behvaiour that started almost 30 years ago, but somehow I managed to put it under control and attach no or little meaning to those random thoughts. It took me probably 10 years to reach that place, though, because I did not go to any therapy... Now I am having the feeling that OCD is back, although different and with different intensity. I have 2 questions if you are willing to answer - do you think I should be dealing with some of the fears I had back then (and I can still remember them, but with much much less intensity)? Second question - do you have any piece of advice for the people living with the people with OCD - spouses, kids, ... ? It is definitely not easy for us with OCD, but it is also not easy for our family members to understand us and ideally, be the support for us.

[antoinelavoisier]

In doing an ERP script, should we avoid self-flagellation? Should we write "I leave the door open and I get robbed" or "I leave the door open and I get robbed because I can't do anything right"? Is the real fear getting robbed or being incompetent or both? Does it ever make sense to call oneself incompetent in a script if that is one of the things feared?

[shawnleong]

Hi Katie, what about fears of whether I’ve harmed other people? I don’t have thoughts of whether I will harm someone in the present or the future, just exclusively around an occasion where I thought I could have harmed someone. Does that make the theme harder to treat? I don’t avoid potential weapons but I do a lot of mental reviewing and seeking reassurance online. I even turned myself in to the police twice, only for them to turn me away.

[cara_alexis]

I’m too scared to do exposures like this. 😭

[arbenkrasniqi]

How do you know so much about OCD? It is like you're reading my mind..

[akshayrjain]

Hello Katie dath, Can u make a video on checking OCD as it's a comman obsession that people with OCD normally go through... Thanks !!