What is at the Core of your OCD – Identifying Your Core Fear

Knowing your core fear is important in creating an effective ERP, Exposure and Response Prevention plan to treat your OCD.

Hi. I’m Paige Pradko, a psychotherapist that specializes in treating people with OCD and anxiety disorders.

Here is the link to the self quiz for OCD:
https://www.paigepradko.com'>https://www.paigepradko.com/ocdquiz'>https://www.paigepradko.com'>https://www.paigepradko.com/ocdquiz

And here is the link for my PDF:
The Top 10 things to Know to Practice ERP: Exposure & Response Prevention for OCD, Phobias and Anxiety
https://www.paigepradko.com'>https://www.paigepradko.com/erp'>https://www.paigepradko.com'>https://www.paigepradko.com/erp

What is Your Core Fear and why is this so crucial to know when you are treating OCD with ERP?

People with OCD and anxiety disorders have a core fear and different stimuli, meaning thoughts, images, sensations, situations, activities, objects and events that trigger that core fear.

If you have OCD, you will likely do anything to avoid triggering and feeling your core fear. (We call these avoidance behaviors) and you do extra things to protect yourself and others from your core fear (we call these compulsions, rituals, or safety behaviors).

ERP, Exposure and Response Prevention, is one of the most effective, evidencedbased treatments for OCD. It is referred to as the goldstandard for OCD Treatment. Sometimes people may add other therapies to ERP like medication, ACT, Motivation Interviewing and/or Mindfulness based therapies or Inference Based Cognitive Therapy.

In ERP treatment for OCD, you expose yourselves to something that triggers your CORE fear, and then practice what we call, Response Prevention, and refrain from rituals, compulsions, or avoidance behaviors. By not responding to your fear, discomfort, and anxiety by doing your compulsions avoidance behaviors, you are allowing your brain to learn that you can tolerate or endure the discomfort and what you thought would happen, doesn’t happen. It’s called safety learning.

To do ERP treatment effectively, you need to identify your Core fear, and come up with ways to trigger and face that fear, while refraining from doing your mental or physical compulsions.

I want you to think of what is central, or at the core of your OCD? Are you afraid of feeling “not just right” and that it will just haunt you and get worse if you can’t get that “just right” feeling?

Are you afraid of one catastrophic event happening?

Or is uncertainty or mistrust in yourself about making an uncorrectable, devastating mistake that results in guilt, shame, regret, loss and emotional suffering forever the basis of your core fear?

A helpful way to identify your core fear, if you are having difficulty with this, is to ask yourself, what would be the consequence is I did not do my rituals and compulsions?

This usually makes it clear.

DO YOU NEED MORE HELP?

If you are tired of your OCD and want to feel better, I would love to work with you in my online course and private support groups here: https://www.paigepradko.com'>https://www.paigepradko.com/courses'>https://www.paigepradko.com'>https://www.paigepradko.com/courses

Here is a special discount code for 10% off Paige Pradko’s online courses for YouTube subscribers: YTTENOFF

I will see you there.

Hit subscribe here to learn more mental health tips and techniques:
https://www.youtube.com/c/PaigePradko...

If you are interested in learning more, sign up for my newsletter at:
https://www.paigepradko.com'>https://www.paigepradko.com

You may follow me at the social media sites below:
  / paige.pradko.therapy  
  / paigepradkotherapy  

How can I help you? I would love to hear from you. Message me here:
https://www.paigepradko.com'>https://www.paigepradko.com

Until next time...I will see you in session,

Paige

Music Epidemicsound.com
Intro: An Ocean Full of Characters by Trevor Kowalski
Silent Memories by Calm Shores
Video Editor [email protected]

(Although Paige Pradko is a licensed psychotherapist, the views expressed on this video and this YouTube channel including comments or any related content should not be taken for medical, psychological, or psychiatric advice. Always contact your physician and mental health provider before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.)

#paigepradko, #OCDwithPaige, #OCD, #PureO, #obsessivecompulsivedisorder, #PureOOCD, #corefear, #OCDfear, #corefearinOCD, #feartrigger, #fearandOCD, #ERPandfear, #ERP, #exposureandresponseprevention, #OCDtreatment, #treatmentforOCD, #OCDtherapist, #helpforOCD, #OCDtreatment