Exposure and Response Prevention
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the primary treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and can help you learn to take control of your life and change how you respond to anxiety.
People with OCD have uncomfortable and unwanted intrusive thoughts (i.e., obsessions) and the urge to do behaviors or rituals to feel less distress (i.e., compulsions). Many people with OCD feel overwhelmed and stuck repeating compulsive rituals, avoiding anxious triggers, or seeking reassurance even if they know these responses are not rational.
Do any of the following resonate with you?
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Thoughts pop into your head that are unwanted and distressing
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You find yourself constantly worried and asking for reassurance over and over again
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You keep doing rituals or behaviors to reduce anxiety but find that they only help you feel better in the short-term
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You keep avoiding things that make you anxious, finding that your life has gotten smaller and smaller over time
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Your relationships have suffered and people are getting frustrated with your anxiety-driven behaviors
If these sound true for you, I want you to know that you're not "crazy" and that there’s nothing wrong with you. You may be experiencing OCD and ERP is a treatment that can help. You don't have to keep living like this and it's ok to ask for help, even if it's hard.
ERP can help you break free and stop OCD from controlling your life. Decades of research have shown that ERP can help you change how you respond to anxiety, reduce distress, and free you to pursue the life you want, even while living with OCD. The goal of ERP is to change the way you respond to anxiety. Instead of constantly fighting anxiety, you want to change your perspective and accept the things that make you anxious. You learn that you can have anxiety and discomfort and continue to pursue valued actions without having to let the anxiety distract you and take up your time and energy.
