20 Tips For Successful Exposure

  1. Be willing to accept risk.
    All life is risky business. Risk is an integral part of life, and as such, it cannot be separated out. Remember that not recovering is the biggest risk of all.
  2. There is no perfect moment to start.
    The perfect moment is whenever you begin. In fact, doing exercises at different times, different places, will help you generalize your practice.
  3. Don't let ending exposure be a reward.
    Stopping exposure might feel good in the moment, but does not help unlearn anxiety response. Instead, sit in the exposure until the discomfort passes. Wait for the reward in the exposure.
  4. Never seek reassurance.
    Instead, tell yourself the worst will happen, is happening, or has already happened. Reassurance will prevent you from improving.
  5. Remember, the problem is not anxiety, but avoidance.
    Anxiety is the symptom, not the cause. To break the avoidance cycle we have to face anxiety and the discomfort. Expect it, chase it. Acceptance of anxiety takes its power away.
  6. Build mental ammunition.
    Find a phrase, a motto, a mantra, or several (Let's Go!, I'm Taking My Life Back, I am Accepting This), that you can fall back on during moments of anxiety. Think of this as mental ammunition, the more you build up the more situations you can conquer.
  7. You know what doesn't work.
    You have lived with contamination OCD and anxiety already, you know what it's like. Now is time to try a different path, facing your fears. This path can lead to you taking your life back.
  8. You are in this for the long haul
    It is normal to make mistakes when learning new skills. It happens to everyone now and then. Accept it. Even if you have a good sized setback, don't let it throw you. You can always try again tomorrow.
  9. Exposure and anxiety are ironic processes.
    Doing exposure seems like it might make things worse but in reality it makes things better.
  10. Ask yourself, what about this is making me uncomfortable?
    Facing your fears may require understanding them better. You may have multiple fears overlapping, and by understanding them better you can face them better.
  11. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
    Exposure is about unlearning a response you have developed over time. The great news is it can be unlearned much faster than it was learned, but it still requires repetition and practice.
  12. Try not to rush or 'push through' exposure sessions.
    Sit in the exposure. Remember, if exposure is triggering an anxiety response that is good. You should be excited when you feel that discomfort, because it means you have an opportunity to face it and break the avoidance cycle. Finding these opportunities and taking them when you can is the path to recovery.
  13. Don't get bluffed by a feeling.
    Your anxiety in the moment may tell you this is not the right path, the problem is something else. Don't get bluffed by this feeling.
  14. Practice daily.
    MyOCD exercises can take just a few minutes. Find time in the morning, after work/school, and complete a little every day. Just like practicing for a sport or learning a new language, frequent repetition will improve your results.
  15. Get excited by the challenge.
    Challenging exposures are opportunities to face your fear and break the avoidance cycle. Even if you end up avoiding something, you now have learned from that experience. How can you approach that trigger in a smaller step? Why was that exposure harder than others? You are always learning and growing especially when things are hard.
  16. Reward yourself.
    Exposure is hard. As you complete exercises and successfully sit in the exposure facing the anxiety, you will be accomplishing a very challenging task. Remember your accomplishments and reward yourself, even if you just pause and tell yourself, 'Wow, I did it'.
  17. Be present.
    Don't cheat exposure sessions by tuning out. Be present, read exercise descriptions out loud, ask yourself 'what about this is making me uncomfortable'. If you find yourself distracted, pause and come back another time.
  18. Remember clean discomfort.
    Clean discomfort is a part of life. When discomfort arises, don't think 'Oh no, here it is'. Instead think, 'ah, discomfort, I must be facing a challenging or new situation'. It may sound weird, but discomfort is a good thing.
  19. You are in charge of your recovery.
    Take ownership. Set your goals, make the time. You know what living with contamination OCD is like, you can take a new path but you have to choose it.
  20. Face. Accept. Float. Let Time Pass.
    Face your fear, do not avoid. Accept what is happening. Float, don't try to control the situation. Let time pass. Anxiety and panic will not get worse if you accept it, but it will take time. Practice and repetition of this process will reduce anxiety.

Additional Reading:

Some of the tips above were sourced from similar lists. You may find these other sources to be helpful additional reading.