First Four Steps for Successful OCD Treatment: ERP, CBT, and Beyond
Successful OCD treatment is in the hands of the client. Although finding the right clinic is critical, no matter how skilled the clinician is, the client is ultimately in the driver’s seat. Here are my top five steps to a successful beginning to your OCD treatment.
Learn about OCD treatment in the way you learn best.
OCD information comes in many different forms, for every learning style. Check out the resources available on this website and others to develop your critical understanding of the why of the ERP technique. Online support groups, podcasts, movies, books, articles, reddit feeds, are just a few of the options for learning about the different ways that OCD presents. Connecting with the stories of others can help us universalize our struggles and not feel personally attacked by some of the more difficult aspects of ERP. Knowledge is power in OCD, as long as learning about OCD doesn’t become a compulsion that delays actually beginning treatment.
Identify your compulsions and obsessions.
With most clients, I create an extensive Google Doc, which we work on together during and between sessions, to have a master list of all the compulsions and obsessions that we will be targeting with OCD treatment. Most clients come to my office without a strong sense of how their struggles and successes can be tied to OCD, and have some difficulty distinguishing between a compulsion and a strong want. Many clients say, “Oh but I like doing that,” before identifying the fact that they would be deeply miserable if they didn’t. It takes some time to dissect problematic behavior, and having a master list helps us to measure therapy progress.
Tell your loved ones about your OCD treatment and have heart-to-heart conversations with those that may have insight.
Often our closest family and friends are the ones who most observe and enable our OCD behaviors. The most successful OCD treatments involve a team approach. Sometimes, at the beginning of OCD treatment, we might not even be aware of how serious our compulsions are. Most of us before treatment have completely lost touch with healthier levels of concern over our obsessive fears, and we usually need to enlist non-OCD friends and family to help us recalibrate. We usually do not have a good sense of how our struggles may be affecting our relationships. If our loved ones are observing problematic compulsions related to our OCD, they can support us in letting go of toxic habits and substituting in helpful behaviors. Having a support system involved in our OCD treatment can be an incredible motivator for healthy change.
Imagine what your life would be like after successful OCD treatment.
Many of us with OCD have very active imaginations (it is part of how we get so divorced from reality!) but they are rarely harnessed to imagine the best case scenario. In order to commit to the incredible outlay of energy and focus that is usually needed for ERP treatment, it is helpful to imagine how it might feel to be rid of our OCD demons.
How would we spend all that extra time? How would we focus our energy if OCD was less in control? What connections would be healthier, deeper, and easier if we did not have to contort our lives around our obsessions?
If you are interested in learning more or receiving help with your OCD, please contact Kairos Wellness Collective.
