thank you for your comments  i generally agree but there are times when ive found that i can make progress with temporary compromises where i do much milder compulsions for a while    my therapist always wants me to do the most disturbing exposures possible but ive found it helpful to have a middle stage  nicotine gum and dictators and gangsters making temporary peace with their enemies and attacking when the time is right come to mind    i pretty much beat a checking compulsions by coming up with progressively milder versions of them and then doing exposures with those