In this 52-minute video, I will guide you through changing the negative stories that run through your mind from being anxious to developing more optimism and self-esteem. I will also show you how to align your new thoughts with your intentions.
It is essential to understand this subtle work before you begin a full ERP attack to reprogram your fears, which will be the subject of my next video.
Most people think ERP is only about overcoming external fears. However, this is not the case; we can use this very effective tool to modify or update the old stories our brain keeps running.
Information about this video
In this video, I will continue to prime you – ready for when you begin to apply ERP procedures to your big fears – by teaching you the missing link in ERP, which nobody talks about.
Which I call internal Story, Exposure, & Response Prevention – or iStory ERP
My iStory Process combines exposure therapy, placebo, positive self-talk, perspective awareness, intention definition, natural personality alignment and self-respect.
Now, because ERP is all about repetition, for those of you who want to make the most out of this internal Story ERP process, it’s my suggestion you stop this video (after reading the following few sentences) and take a day or so – to rewatch videos 2, 3, 4, 8 and 21 – then return to watch this video.
Because, as this is video 50, it was probably a long time ago you watched them, and they will help prime your brain to better understand (and process) the information in this video.
This is the Repeated Exposure I keep talking about – and if your brain gives you the story, “I don’t need to do that,” or comes up with some other excuse stories – these are great examples of the ‘Responses we are learning to Prevent! ERP – Exposure and Response Prevention!
Can you see how sneaky and subtle this is? Most people miss it completely!
We not only apply Positive ERP to our big fears but also to every negative, pessimistic (or procrastinating) story or thought, all day, every day, repeatedly, until we have upgraded the stories, attitudes and intentions our unconscious brain proposes to us each day.
What will that new story become? Who knows? You don’t need to know; you just need to change the old one – you must stop clinging to the old story running in your head about yourself and the life you currently live.
People say to me, “John, in some situations, I can hear your voice in my head telling me what to do!”
Yes, of course, because I have been doing Positive internal Story ERP to you. Through my videos, I have been doing the very programming I wish for you to apply to yourself – because it works!
Sometimes the process is just too simple for people to recognise.
Now, before I continue – please check that you fully understand my story about The Negative ERP Trap from Video 50 Part One.
I ask this because this Negative ERP Trap is probably responsible for 50% of an anxious person’s daily problems, and most people don’t even realise they are doing it!
And, because I aim to provide you with the most comprehensive explanation of ERP possible (to give you the best chance of recovery) – let me highlight some more ERP Traps.
Firstly, we have a ‘Story’ about ourselves (and our anxiety) which ‘feels true’ but may not necessarily be the whole truth…
Let me explain, and though I will go into much more detail in my next video – I want to share with you the patterns (and sabotages) I’ve seen anxiety and OCD use to trick their host into fearful inaction.
You might say – the childish tricks the little horsey uses to scare you, the rider.
And really listen to what I say because, sometimes, one word, realisation, or sudden aha moment may shake your anxiety or OCD to its core – suddenly revealing the unconscious game it’s been playing all these years from the conditioning you may have received as a baby, in childhood or your informative years!
So, here are my headlines for you to ponder.
People with Pure OCD – who have unrequested intrusive thoughts of harming others, sexually abusing people (or children), or need to run imagined ritualistic scenarios in their heads.
They tend to be nomadic in nature. They have incredible imaginations but no external outlet for that creativity, so it gets turned inwards and (unconsciously) used against themselves and on an opposite subject to who they really are.
Best if I give you an example – if you are kind and would never hurt another person, the OCD may jump to harming others (or yourself).
Why would it do that? Because that story will catch your conscious
attention and scare you – as might intrusive sexual thoughts if you were a kind and respectful person.
Anxiety and OCD – always propose thoughts, stories and images that oppose who you truly are. Otherwise, they would never be able to catch your attention, would they?
It’s just how anxiety and OCD operate. And, for most people, just knowing this is such a relief, even though I suspect (in your heart) you already know you’d never do those things!