Today, I’m going to talk about living ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) and how this isn’t just a one-and-done thing. You can’t just dip in and get out. Many people think of ERP as a specific exercise or a series of tasks that you need to complete and then you’re done. But the truth is, ERP is so much more than that. It’s not just a series of moments; it’s really a lifestyle change.

Here’s a little preview of what we’ll cover:

• What is ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention)?
• A practical example of living with ERP

What is ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention)?

ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) is about consistently choosing to face your fears and rise to them while resisting the urge to perform certain behaviors or compulsions or safety behaviors that you would do. Living ERP is about rewiring your brain to respond differently to anxiety-provoking situations or challenging situations. This isn’t something that you do once and then you kind of forget about it. It really does have to be this continuous process that becomes part of your daily life.

Updating Your Mental Software

Think of ERP as an upgrading of the software in your brain. When you have an anxious brain, the default response to fear is to avoid and to avoid some more, and maybe to start to engage in some rituals or some compulsions like reassurance-seeking or rumination or confessing. ERP is going to help you to essentially update this software in your brain. It’s going to help you change those default settings from avoidance to approach, and you’re going to be able to learn to go from compulsion to acceptance.

Changing Your Lens

This shift isn’t just about overcoming a specific subtype of anxiety or overcoming a specific fear that you have. It’s about changing the entire lens through which you see the world and new challenges, like a job interview or the change of something happening in your life. It’s about learning to live with uncertainty and to embrace the discomfort instead of running from it and letting it rule your life.

Practical Example: Contamination Fears

Let’s say that you have contamination fears or you have obsessions and compulsions around contamination. ERP might have you start with something small like touching a doorknob without washing your hands immediately after. Of course, that’s a really practical example. Really, we could go on forever about all the different ways that anxiety and OCD can come up, but I think that’s all something that we can visualize, so I think it’s a good example to start with.

Consistency is Key

Over time, as you consistently face that fear without doing the compulsion, which is to wash your hands, your brain is going to start to learn that the feared outcome doesn’t happen. And even if it does happen and you get sick, for example, you’ll see that it’s manageable and that you can handle it. But it doesn’t stop there.

As you continue to practice exposure and response prevention, you’re going to begin to apply this new response and this new way of being and interacting in the world to other areas of your life. You’ll start to approach social situations with more bravery and courage, challenge perfectionism in your work, and become more open to trying new things despite the anxiety that these things might provoke.

It really does become, if you’re doing it correctly, a holistic approach to managing anxiety and just uncomfortable situations. But it’s really important to know that consistency is key. Just like with physical exercise, the benefits of ERP come from regular practice. You can’t just go for a day or two and then expect to have these really big long-lasting changes to your muscles. It’s about making small daily choices that reinforce the new healthier pathways in your brain. Over time, those choices are going to add up to significant lasting change.

Embracing Setbacks

It’s also really important to remember that setbacks are a totally natural part of the process. Just because you have a bad day or a rough week, it doesn’t mean that you failed and that you’re not cut out for this. The key is to keep going and to keep practicing and to be patient with yourself as you make all of those changes.

Conclusion

To wrap up, remember that ERP is not just a moment in time. It’s not just a get-in and get-out type of thing. If you’re doing it the right way and with the right mindset, it’s going to be a lifestyle change. It’s about continually choosing to face your fears and to resist compulsions. It’s about updating the software in your brain and changing literally the way that you see and experience the world.

Until next time, stay bold, stay empowered, and remember, you’ve got this. Keep doing all the hard things. Bye for now.

Keep doing all the hard things. Bye for now.

👏 Unlock your free 40-minute video on “5 Must-Know Strategies for Handling Anxiety and Intrusive Thoughts”: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jennaoverbaughlpc.com/strategies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🧠 Start your transformation today with the Mental Compulsion Mini Course referenced in this episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jennaoverbaughlpc.com/mental-compulsions⁠

💪 Ready to conquer OCD/anxiety? Explore The OCD and Anxiety Recovery Blueprint – with or without a therapist: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jennaoverbaughlpc.com/blueprint⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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