“To treat OCD, you will have to learn a new way of addressing your obsessions without resorting to avoidance or rituals.
Your therapy is designed to do exactly this, and your therapist knows exercises that would be helpful in achieving this goal. These exercises are called exposure and response prevention. (EXRP)”
When people have obsessions, they use a ritual to feel better. They might think this is the only way to feel better. They exclude other options to feel better and use this one almost exclusively. That behavior reinforces the belief that only their ritual will work to relieve anxiety.
If they were able to endure the discomfort, to tolerate the distress, without resorting to a ritual, they would soon find that the feelings go away on their own. Feel the feelings and the feelings go away. Avoid the feelings or stir up the feelings…and they stay longer. Some people learn meditation, to simply be aware of the thoughts and feelings, to allow them to be what they are, not to intervene.
Your therapy is designed to do exactly this, and your therapist knows exercises that would be helpful in achieving this goal. These exercises are called exposure and response prevention. (EXRP)”
When people have obsessions, they use a ritual to feel better. They might think this is the only way to feel better. They exclude other options to feel better and use this one almost exclusively. That behavior reinforces the belief that only their ritual will work to relieve anxiety.
If they were able to endure the discomfort, to tolerate the distress, without resorting to a ritual, they would soon find that the feelings go away on their own. Feel the feelings and the feelings go away. Avoid the feelings or stir up the feelings…and they stay longer. Some people learn meditation, to simply be aware of the thoughts and feelings, to allow them to be what they are, not to intervene.
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