Starting Small in OCD Treatment: The Spider Web Analogy

Welcome to the blog! If you’re new here, I’m Nathan Peterson, and I create content to help you understand and manage OCD and mental health better. Today, we’re diving into a crucial concept in OCD treatment: starting small and building up gradually. We’ll explore why creating a hierarchy in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is so important and how you can do it yourself. To make it more relatable, we’ll use the analogy of how a spider builds its web.

The Spider Web Analogy

Imagine a spider starting its web. It begins with just a few strands, carefully placed to create a stable foundation. If it tried to spin a huge web right away, it would likely fall apart. I remember having this thought when I saw a few strands of webs floating in the wind; they weren't strong enough. This is a perfect analogy for how we should approach treating OCD with ERP.

Why Starting Small is Crucial

1. Manageable Process

Starting small makes the treatment process more manageable and less overwhelming. Tackling OCD can feel like an enormous task, but breaking it down into smaller steps makes it more approachable.

2. Building Confidence and Resilience

Starting with less challenging tasks allows you to build confidence and resilience gradually. As you succeed with smaller tasks, your confidence grows, making it easier to tackle more difficult exposures.

3. Creating a Strong Foundation

Just as a spider carefully constructs its web, starting small helps you create a strong foundation for more challenging exposures in the future. This foundation is crucial for long-term success in managing OCD.

What is an Exposure Hierarchy?

An exposure hierarchy is a tool we use in ERP to rank situations that trigger our OCD from least to most anxiety-provoking. By starting with the least distressing tasks and working our way up, we can confront our fears and reduce our anxiety over time.

How to Create an Exposure Hierarchy

Creating an exposure hierarchy involves identifying your fears, rating them on a scale of 1 to 10, and then gradually facing them, starting from the lowest level. This way, just like a spider methodically builds its web, you too can create a strong, stable foundation to manage your OCD.

Example Exposure Hierarchies

Contamination OCD:

• Imagining touching a doorknob
• Touching a doorknob with bare hands
• Touching a public doorknob with bare hands
• Touching a trash can and then not washing hands immediately
• Touching a trash can and then eating without washing hands

Relationship OCD (ROCD):

• Looking at photos of your partner without seeking reassurance
• Writing down negative qualities of your partner, while saying, "I may be stuck with this forever"
• Reading articles about relationships that have broken up
• Watching romantic movies without analyzing your own relationship
• Discussing relationship fears with a trusted person without seeking reassurance

Real Event OCD:

• Thinking about a past event for 1 minute without seeking reassurance
• Writing a brief description of the event without correcting details
• Reading your description out loud without seeking reassurance
• Discussing the event with someone without seeking reassurance
• Deliberately recalling the event and sitting with the uncertainty of the fear without putting judgment on it

Harm OCD:

• Holding a butter knife in the kitchen
• Holding a sharp knife in the kitchen
• Holding a sharp knife near someone
• Holding a sharp knife during a conversation
• Cooking a meal with others around

Steps to Create Your Own Exposure Hierarchy

Creating your own exposure hierarchy at home is simpler than you might think. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Identify Your Triggers

Write down situations, objects, or thoughts that trigger your OCD.

2. Rate Your Anxiety

Use a scale from 1 to 10 to rate how much anxiety each trigger causes.

3. Rank Your Triggers

Organize them from least to most anxiety-provoking.

4. Start Small

Begin with the least anxiety-provoking task and gradually work your way up.

5. Track Your Progress

Keep a journal to note your experiences and any changes in anxiety levels.

Additional Resources

If you need more help with this, I've got worksheets and more direction on how to create a hierarchy as well as how to actually do the treatment for OCD in my online course. With videos just like this that are more directive and easy to follow at home, I'll link the Master Your OCD course in the description.

Final Thoughts

Remember, just like a spider starts small and builds its web strand by strand, you too can build a strong foundation in your OCD treatment by starting small and working your way up. Creating and following an exposure hierarchy is a powerful tool to help you manage your OCD more effectively.

If you found this post helpful, please share it with others who might benefit. Stay strong, stay hopeful, and keep pushing forward!