The Power of Exposure and Response Prevention in Helping OCD
Individuals who struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder deal with their obsessions or anxiety, fears, and stressors by performing compulsions as a way to provide temporary relief.
Performing these compulsions every single time anxiety or fear presents itself can turn into a vicious cycle that is difficult for someone to break.
This is where exposure and response prevention therapy comes in. Let’s learn more about the power of exposure and response prevention in helping OCD.
What Is Exposure and Response Prevention?
Exposure and Response Prevention, or ERP, is a type of therapy that was developed to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This type of therapy works to disrupt a person’s cycle of obsessions and compulsions through gradual exposure. During this process, a person will learn how to better manage and reduce their anxiety.
How Does ERP Therapy Work?
When you’re afraid of something, it can be hard and even anxiety-provoking to face those fears head-on. With the help of ERP therapy and working alongside a therapist, it can become a bit easier. ERP therapy works because a therapist helps to guide you in a safe and secure environment. You’ll gradually work your way up to being exposed to your obsessions and be able to sit with the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that you experience while resisting the urge to perform one of your compulsions.
What Does ERP Therapy Look Like?
Exposure
Exposure and response prevention therapy doesn’t mean jumping in and facing your fears head-on during day one. Facing your fears isn’t easy for anyone, no matter if you’re struggling with OCD or not. The exposure part of exposure and response prevention therapy is gradual. You will start small.
First, you’ll work to identify and keep track of the obsessions, any potential triggers, and the compulsions that you attempt to do to feel better. Throughout the course of your sessions with a therapist, you’ll build your confidence levels, skills, and healthier coping mechanisms while working towards facing more challenging or stressful fears.
Response Prevention
The response prevention portion of exposure and response prevention therapy is actually one of the key components of this type of therapy. Exposure won’t help you much if you don’t have a way to resist performing those compulsions and trying to break the cycle of OCD.
Working with a therapist during the response prevention portion of this therapy can help you stay on course for making progress and recovering. A therapist will be able to help coach you through avoiding those compulsions, pick up on compulsions that you may not even realize that you’re doing, and prevent you from replacing the previous compulsion with a new one.
The Benefits of ERP Therapy
ERP is one of the most effective forms of therapy, especially for individuals who are struggling with OCD. ERP allows individuals to take control of their lives again. Here are a few of the many benefits of ERP therapy:
- Ability to handle daily functions, roles, and responsibilities
- Better manage anxiety
- Decrease anxiety levels
- Determine the connection between one’s obsessions and compulsions
- Face fears
- Implement healthier coping mechanisms
- Improved quality of life
- Long-lasting relief from symptoms
- Reframe mindsets to no longer see obsessions as threats
- Sense of empowerment
- Tolerate uncertainty
- Understand why these obsessions happen
Next Steps
Living with OCD can bring on additional challenges. It’s important to know that you are not defined by your OCD. While it may seem difficult to manage right now, there are ways that you can take control back again. If you’re interested in learning more about ERP therapy and seeing if it’s a good fit for you, reach out today to set up an initial consultation.