Try Your First ERP Rep | Free ERP Starter
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Free ERP Starter from Madina Alam, LMHC

Try your first rep of ERP.

ERP is Exposure and Response Prevention, the #1 treatment for OCD. Reading about it is one thing. Doing it is where it starts to work.

Five short steps. About 10 minutes. By the end, you'll have actually done it.

What you type stays on your device. Nothing gets sent anywhere. You can close this and come back later.

OCD runs on a loop.

and repeat

Something sets it off. A thought shows up that feels urgent. Anxiety spikes. You do something to make it stop. Relief. For a minute.

Here's the catch. The relief is what keeps OCD going. Every compulsion tells your brain the thought was dangerous and you only got through it because you fixed it.

ERP flips that. You face the trigger on purpose. You skip the compulsion. Your brain learns it can handle the thought without fixing anything.

Map your loop.

Pick one real moment from this week. Small is fine. Small is actually better.

No big dealWorst it gets
Notice thisYour answer to "what did you do" is the part ERP works on. Not the thought. Not the feeling. What you do next.
Fill in what set it off and what you did. The rest is optional.

Catch your compulsions.

Some are obvious. Some happen entirely in your head. Tap every one you do.

Heads upMental compulsions count. Reviewing, analyzing, and reassuring yourself are usually the sneakiest ones, and the ones people miss.
Tap at least one, then pick the one you do most.

Build a mini ladder.

List situations that trigger you, then rate how hard each would feel from 0 to 10. We'll put them in order for you.

ExampleContamination: touch a doorknob and wait 10 minutes to wash (4). Touch the trash can lid and eat a snack without washing (7).
Add at least one situation with a rating.

Do one rep.

Here's your ladder, easiest at the bottom. Start with something around a 3 or 4. Hard enough to count. Not so hard you bail.

No fixing, no checking, no reassurance. Just let it be there.

15:00
RememberYou're not trying to feel calm. You're practicing not needing to. If the anxiety goes up, that's the rep working.
Add your exposure and all three ratings to see your results.
Your first rep

You just did ERP.

That was one rep. Getting better is a lot of reps, in the right order, without guessing what comes next. Here's how to keep going.

Keep going on your own

This Isn't a Journal

My full ERP workbook. It walks you through the whole process step by step, so you always know what to do next.

Get the workbook, $67
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Work with me 1:1

I'm an LMHC trained in ERP, the #1 treatment for OCD. Therapy for clients in New York and North Carolina. Coaching everywhere else.

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This starter is educational. It isn't therapy and it isn't a substitute for treatment. If you're in crisis, call or text 988.