OCD Treatment
Find Freedom from OCD and Gain More Peace in your Life
Do you ever feel like your brain is a prison of rules and demands you must follow?
Have you ever felt like an imposter in your own life? Do you feel like you just don’t fit in?
Do you feel exhausted at the end of the day because you spent so much time and energy making sure everything is just right?
Do you wonder if the constant worries and “what if” thoughts will ever go away?
Do you feel controlled by your fears and unable to imagine a peaceful and fulfilling life?
You might be struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder, and you’re not alone. It’s actually more common than you might think–about 1 in 40 U.S. adults meet the criteria for OCD!
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a form of heightened anxiety and can include both obsessions (intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (behaviors meant to lower anxiety caused by obsessions). It can look like struggling to make a decision, and asking 5 people for their opinions before you feel better about it. Or worrying about the front door being locked, and going back to check multiple times just to make sure (even turning the car around to go back if you’ve already left). It’s different for everyone.
OCD Treatment
No matter what it looks like, living with OCD can feel debilitating, frightening, even hopeless. Counseling can help you change that. A therapist specializing in OCD treatment can help you to shift things into perspective, to feel better and learn how to stay feeling better. It’s a way of re-training your brain while at the same time learning to care for it even with its quirks and struggles.
Our goal is to support you as you work to take back control of your routines, to thrive in a life you genuinely love, and begin to dream about a future filled with hope. A big world, and so many wonderful experiences and accomplishments await you.
And your therapist will be with you every step of the way, ready to help you reclaim what once seemed out of reach and reimagine the life you desire.
Therapy for OCD
Our approach to OCD treatment includes using evidence based modalities like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Our therapists always leverage the best treatment modalities and pair it with the unique needs of the client and how you learn best. The idea is to gradually expose you to your fears, teaching you distress tolerance and coping skills along the way so that your anxiety begins to decrease and you gain confidence in your ability to tackle any situation you face.
If you’d like to learn more about our approach here at Dwell, or if you are ready to experience relief right now, please don’t hesitate to reach out and request an appointment today to start therapy for OCD. You can do this!
Meet Jessie: An OCD Therapist
Hi! I’m Jessie and I am SO glad you are here. Taking the first step to understanding what therapy means can sometimes feel overwhelming or confusing. I am here to walk with you through this process and give you the confidence you need to feel like yourself again!
Maybe you find yourself feeling controlled by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. You feel driven to count steps, repeat certain words, or ask for reassurance from a loved one over and over again. Or maybe you lie awake at night replaying everything you did wrong that day; you dread social situations because you just know everyone is staring at you. OCD and anxiety can reach a point where you no longer control the thoughts and actions — they start to control you.
But there is hope, and you just took the first step toward finding it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between obsessions and compulsions? Obsessions are recurrent thoughts, often called “intrusive thoughts.” They are unwanted and cause a significant amount of stress–so much that the person feels they must do something to relieve it. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed for the purpose of alleviating the anxious distress brought on by the obsessions, or intrusive thoughts.
Do people with OCD really believe those irrational thoughts? Most people are aware that their obsessions are irrational, which further heighten the distress and lead to feelings of shame, embarrassment, and loneliness. The problem is, the distress doesn’t stop until they perform their compulsive behaviors. This keeps them stuck in a cycle of fear, temporary relief, and resurgence of fear – and no amount of insight makes those compulsions any easier to resist.
What causes OCD? There is no one thing that causes OCD. There does appear to be a genetic component involved, but this does not tell the whole story. Risk factors for developing, worsening, or maintaining OCD symptoms include stressful life events, personality traits like perfectionism, hormonal fluctuations, and trauma.
If someone is a “neat freak” or a “germaphobe,” does this mean they have OCD? Unfortunately, “OCD” has become a term that is often misused socially, and it can be harmful to those actually suffering from the disorder. It’s important to use sensitivity in our language and to remember that just because someone likes things to be neat or is concerned about germs does not necessarily mean they have OCD.
Is OCD treatable? In short, yes! With evidence-based treatment like ERP and medication as prescribed by your doctor, you can overcome your fears and reduce compulsive and avoidant behaviors at a pace you are comfortable with. OCD treatment is gradual, but with motivation, the recommended weekly therapy sessions, a trained therapist, a collaborative treatment team, and a personal support system, goals are often accomplished in months rather than years, as in the case with many other disorders.
What techniques do you use to treat OCD? There are lots of effective and research based techniques – all stemming from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), such as cognitive restructuring to challenge and replace irrational thinking patterns. The "gold standard" technique for OCD is exposure and response prevention (ERP). Time and again we have seen clients come to realize, through ERP, that they are fully capable of coping with triggering thoughts without resorting to disruptive, time-consuming rituals.
What is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)? When we are afraid of something (ex. Driving over bridges) and we do whatever it takes to avoid that thing, the fear stays big. Why? Because our brains (trying to keep us safe) draw the wrong conclusion: I am only alive and safe because I avoided that bridge. So, we keep avoiding, thinking that we are wisely playing it safe. But our brains never have a chance to learn that we can actually face those fears instead of being trapped by them.
This is where ERP comes in! Exposure and Response Prevention is a way of retraining your brain to come to a different conclusion about your fears. Instead of saying, “I only survived because I _________ (avoided it altogether, closed my eyes, touched it 5 times, etc.),” your brain can learn to say, “I survived because I can handle this.” This is the beauty of ERP and it’s incredibly rewarding to see our clients gaining confidence in their ability to overcome their struggles and to live a fulfilling life they truly love.
What role does medication play in the treatment of OCD? Medication has been proven to be an effective tool in treating OCD and is often a firstline recommendation, in conjunction with therapy, and in particular CBT treatment (including ERP). It is not necessary for everyone, and is not a long-term solution by itself, but it can provide an often much-needed buffer when doing the hard work of therapy. Medication must be taken as directed by your doctor for it to work effectively, as symptoms can return to previous levels if medication is stopped.
Is online therapy effective for OCD treatment? The short answer is, yes! Online therapy is flexible and convenient, cutting down on excuses not to stay consistent. And even better, with online sessions, therapy can happen where your OCD and/or anxiety disorder is triggered. This enables you and your therapist to work on exposure to your fears and triggers in real-time together.
How do you measure progress in therapy? We use different ways to track progress, and it really is so important because we want to be able to measure our success and celebrate it! Behavior tracking and self-report measures are ones we use often to gauge your starting point and also track progress toward recovery. With time, you’ll also start to feel better – and being able to look back on those behavior tracking notes is so validating and rewarding.
