Kristen from the OCD Project has a blog (see link that will get you there in the comments). I just tore through the whole thing. It's very interesting, and has me thinking about the the show. She said several times in "bonus" clips on the vh1 website that she was concerned about what would happen when she was on her own again, and also that she didn't feel like the short time frame allowed her to repeat the exposures often enough to truly habituate to the fear. Since then, I've been noticing that they don't do very many exposures more than once. And in my experience, in most cases, repetition is key. That seems like a flaw in having the exposures go only over 3 weeks.
In the end, Kristen ended up attending an additional inpatient treatment program, for a longer period of time, where she could repeat exposures.
OCD treatment is complicated. I continue to be a little amazed that I'm making just as much progress without a therapist as I did with one. For me, it's been all about really wanting it. I've long known what I needed to do, but only now am I feeling the motivation to do it.
I'm writing at 4 am, brain is a little mushy, will check back tomorrow to see if any of this makes any sense.
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You are stronger than you think!
1 year ago
Makes sense to me!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it's just OCD telling me that I can't get better unless I "really want it" (while simultaneously telling me that I am not trying hard enough to get rid of it and that I could be better if I just "really tried"), but I often feel that I am scouring my life for motivation, that drive to just get better already.
I'm not sure I completely understand this yet, but when I have complained to my therapist about trying to find the motivation to change and failing, I have often been told that I have to stop waiting for the right motivation and just do what I need to do in terms of treatment anyway. Seems paradoxical to me...how am I supposed to do the work to get better if I can't find the motivation to do it? But I try to just keep pushing forward day to day, motivation present or not.
Do you have a link to her blog?
ReplyDeletePretty good post for 4 am - mushy brain writing. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree - repetition is key - in fact, that's how a lot of my compulsions started becoming so time consuming - habitual repetition reinforced the fear. It makes sense that you'd have to work just as long and hard and repetitiously to overcome the problem.
You should be able to get the link to her blog here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=610080890&ref=sgm
I was wondering about that. Nice job finding that! Now, can we find Kevin? :)
ReplyDeleteThe OCD Project bothers me on a number of levels, not the least of which is that OCD is notorious for the amount of time and consistency (using the word 'repetition' seems a little ironic) required to appropriately treat the disorder.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had the emotional strength to watch more than the first ten or so minutes of the first episode, but the impression I walked away with was: I was flabbergasted there was soap in the bathrooms.
Do a search for Kevin Suscavage. He has a site and a FB page.
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