Do you remember working through a challenging math problem in school? After several attempts to solve the equation, things clicked, and you finally found the answer. Overcoming obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can feel similar.
You’ve been caught in an OCD cycle of obsessions and compulsions, making it hard to maintain healthy relationships and do the things you love. Then you start treatment. While nothing happens overnight, you stick with treatment and eventually it starts to click. Day by day, you regain control of your life.
If you think you have OCD or have recently been diagnosed and are curious if therapy is actually effective, take it from real people who have learned to manage OCD. NOCD Therapy members have shared the breakthrough moments they experienced in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, and how it felt to finally break the OCD cycle.
Join others who have regained control of their life from OCD. Book a free call to get started.
How does Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy work?
First, let’s briefly discuss ERP. It involves two main components: careful exposure to obsessions, and techniques used for response prevention, or resisting the urge to engage in compulsions. In a typical session, a therapist will guide you to confront the scenarios that trigger your obsessive thoughts, urges, sensations, or images—this might involve reading something out loud, looking at pictures, or engaging in an activity. Instead of responding to those triggers by ruminating, reassurance-seeking, counting, or any other compulsions, you’ll learn to sit with the discomfort and uncertainty you feel, with your therapist helping you through the process.
As you’ll see in the following section, doing ERP to manage OCD can help you understand that you’ll always have triggers, but you don’t need to respond to them—and in doing so, you can become free to live life on your own terms.
Virtual OCD treatment that accepts insurance
People share their breakthrough moments in ERP
We asked the entire NOCD community to share the moment treatment started to transform their lives.
NOCD Community Voices
Struggling with OCD? The NOCD community can help.
Join the conversationHere are some of the stories we heard:
When I had a full conversation that included some triggers, I felt no panic, and my thinking felt truly rational. My husband and I high-fived because it was such a huge improvement!
NOCD Community member Juney24
“I stopped having panic attacks and anxiety attacks. I also could sleep the whole night and was able to leave my house again.” – Brooke cookie
“When I was having intrusive thoughts, and still went about my day like nothing was happening.” – Mimi33
I have hyper-awareness, which is linked heavily to my health anxiety OCD. After resisting the compulsion of body-checking my movement, I got up from a self-coached 35-minute session, and I felt that lingering anxiety went from a constant 4/10 to a 1.5/10. Progress over perfection.
NOCD Community member Stephen.tonto
“When I was able to walk outside and see all the grass move and sway, and the light reflect on everything and see how life is so beautiful!” – Jake T
“When I could sit with the feeling of anxiety in my body, the discomfort, and not have to do anything about it.” – bbgirl94
When it clicked that me and my OCD were not the same person.
NOCD Community member higginssac
“When my intrusive thoughts weren’t bothering me as much.” – MadMatt
“I noticed my ritual/compulsion to record most of my day turned into only half. Currently, I’d say that I document only 30-35% of my day, which was about 90% before.” – SpiceyPisces
It’s never too late to seek help for OCD
Ready to have your breakthrough moment with ERP?
Conquering OCD is not an easy feat, but it is attainable with proper treatment and support. And when you stick with therapy that’s proven to work, you can reach life-changing results as you learn to manage your symptoms.
If you’d like to join in on the conversation about OCD breakthroughs, you can comment on our post in the NOCD Community.
