top of page

A special kind of CBT designed to treat OCD

EXPOSURE AND RESPONSE PREVENTION (ERP)

Many clients that have come to me with OCD believe that they are or will soon be "going crazy". The obsessions are so irrational and at times shameful to them that they are fearful of telling others. ERP helps clients realize that they are not crazy and they do not have to endure a lifetime of performing these behaviors. They can learn to tolerate the obsessions, desensitize themselves to the anxiety and then be free to choose the behavior they would like to be doing instead of automatically performing the compulsion. It takes knowledge, courage and repeated exposure to break free from the compulsions.

 

However, once a person successfully conquers one compulsion, it gives them the the confidence and motivation to take their lives back from OCD. They begin to see how different life can be when OCD symptoms are effectively managed. Initially when you attempt to stop doing a compulsion (like avoiding stepping on cracks) you will feel very distressed - like "something bad is about to happen" (anxiety) but as you repeatedly expose yourself to stepping on cracks you'll habituate.

bottom of page