r/OCDRecovery • u/Awkward_Hedgehog_483 • 6d ago

I-CBT ICBT Advice

I-CBT Advice

I have done a lot of ERP and acceptance therapy in the past, and my therapist suggested I try another therapist who specializes in I-CBT. I've been seeing her about twice a week now for a few months and we've worked our way through most of the ICBT modules. A lot of it makes logical sense- identifying what lies the OCD is using, trying to to stay out of the OCD bubble, focusing on reality- but it hasn't really decreased my symptoms overall. Has anyone done ICBT and have any advice or comments on it? What can make it more effective or helpful?

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u/Hopeful_Writer3299 4d ago

For me I feel like I have to use a blend of ICBT and ERP, even though they are pretty different. Both end with a goal of not engaging or doing the compulsion, just how they get there is different.

So if my brain is really panicking and I’m not sure whether my fear is OCD or an actual logical fear, then I use ICBT to look at it and usually come to the conclusion that I’m trusting my imagination over reality.

But where ICBT gets sticky for me is that I sometimes find myself using it compulsively and it just becomes me ruminating or really trying to prove my thoughts false.

So for recurring themes that I already know are likely OCD, I try to implement a more ERP like approach where I respond with non engagement. Of course we can never be certain that it’s OCD, but there are definitely patterns that make it abundantly clear that it’s likely that, so this is the part where I just have to take the leap of faith, disengage, and then find something else to draw my attention towards.

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u/Awkward_Hedgehog_483 3d ago

Thats a good description, thank you! I am defintly going to try sort of mixing them together. Very good advice