John Glanvill • Anxiety Specialist & Researcher • Anxiety • OCD • Bipolar • ADHD • Energy • Online Treatment Course • Sensible Spirituality

The Negative ERP Trap

As you all know, I am a huge supporter of ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention). In this 18-minute animation, I have attempted to summarise twenty years of my experience with it – to help you use ERP effectively.

Most anxious individuals can’t see that they are already ERP specialists but are using ERP negatively to (unknowingly) reinforce their fears rather than to ease and overcome them.

It is only by waking up to the fact that you might be unknowingly doing this – that you’ll be able to break that negative addiction and replace it with a positive one!

Information about this video

Across my next few videos, I will focus on making the technique of ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) more understandable, practical and demonstratable.

This first video will discuss the basics of ERP, explaining its significance as an essential technique that redefines anxiety – and if you are not embracing it and applying it daily – then you haven’t even begun your true recovery.

Effective use of ERP will not only help you to dismiss unhelpful thoughts from your mind but also enable you to accept your body’s reactions to those old undesirable stories. At the same time, it will positively update your unconscious mind’s belief systems with new, optimistic and

loving attitudes towards yourself and life.

However, it’s my experience, from over two decades of working with very complex anxiety, that when you mention ERP, half of those with complex anxiety say, “I already tried ERP and it didn’t work”, and the other half say, “ERP is just too scary for me to try!”

Therefore, neither group are applying this powerful change process seriously (or effectively)!

Because ERP is the fastest way out of anxiety – and it is the fastest way to change your life.

Yes, it’s awkward to do initially – and yes, it will force you to take more responsibility for your life – however, it is no less scary than living with anxiety and believing that there is no escape from it!

So, if you are not adopting a proven strategy for reducing anxiety – this means you were taught ERP incorrectly, you don’t understand it well

enough to apply it daily – or you will be receiving some secondary gain from sabotaging your own recovery – such as – losing social housing or financial benefits.

I also believe there are two further (misunderstood) elements of ERP – and that is…

As the person does the exposure work and their fears begin to normalise – very often, the real challenges in that person’s life come to the fore, like having to leave home, get a job, overcome shyness, become more courageous, accept a disability or face other realities of life that previously their anxiety stopped them from having to address.

And, I would suggest you label these challenges as discomfort – based on forcing yourself to change rather than calling them anxiety; they are just the natural distress that comes with taking responsibility for the outcomes of your new life – just as everybody else has to face in their lives.

The second element is subtle but important; it’s my advice that
you practise ERP directly on tasks which change your life rather than focusing on your existing anxiety or OCD fears.

Let me give you an example; rather than waiting until you overcome your social anxiety to apply for a job – apply for a job – which will
then force you to address your social anxiety – plus, you’ll be hanging out with new people, learning new skills and earning money which will certainly move your life forward.

Can you see that applying ERP to actions that will advance your life will always be faster and more sensible than focusing ERP only on your existing symptoms?

Know this: it is possible to retrain your unconscious brain, it is possible to handle any discomfort in your body, and it is possible to change the negative stories (or beliefs) you have about yourself!

Yes, it will take a lot of work – but, I am here to tell you it is absolutely worth the effort.

However, to apply ERP effectively I must teach you about the biggest anxiety trap that most people unknowingly fall foul of…

Which is… ERP is clearly divided into two categories – one which works and the other which makes anxiety worse!

Continued in the video…