OCD and anxiety can often lead you to doubting yourself, feeling like nothing makes sense, and feeling misunderstood. It can also impact your job, your family, and your daily functioning.
Exposure Therapy for OCD and Anxiety
To be blunt, exposure therapy can be confusing. Some people hear the words and they think of the TV show "Fear Factor" and want no part of it. That's understandable…I wouldn’t want to do that either. However, exposure therapy is much different when it is facilitated by a professional therapist with proper training and experience. Exposure therapy, specifically ERP (exposure and response prevention) is the gold standard for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorders and it is effective. It's about providing you with the opportunity to overcome the challenges that may be holding you back in your life. There are no magic wands or simple fixes, but exposure therapy is effective at helping you improve your functioning, and getting back what anxiety and OCD have taken away from you. It does not mean that you’ll never feel anxiety or fear again, because those are natural feelings, but it can help you feel less fearful or less anxious and help you live your life more effectively.
There are many misperceptions and stereotypes about OCD and none of them are helpful. Many people throw the phrase "I’m so OCD" around in casual conversation without realizing that it can be devastating for the people struggling with it and it minimizes their condition. I have worked with patients to address OCD-related fears that number in the hundreds during my time at Rogers Behavioral Health, where I received extensive training and clinical supervision while working with patients in a partial hospitalization (PHP) and intensive outpatient (IOP) setting. Due to the complicated nature of OCD, it is critical to work with a therapist who understands the treatment protocols that can guide you through the process. There are many well-meaning therapists who claim that they treat OCD, but they may accidentally reinforce and strengthen OCD symptoms by not being properly trained on the topic.
You may be thinking "There's no help for me because you'd be shocked to know the thoughts that go through my head. You would be repulsed by some of the thoughts…they’re terrible! No one can understand me." Most of my former clients have uttered those same words. That's why it's so important to work with someone who's worked so closely with OCD on a daily basis and helped people get their lives back on track. It's important to work with someone who can relate to your fears, has experience with them, and can help you overcome them.