Exposure and Response Prevention
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the gold standard treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and can help you learn to take control of your life and change how you respond to anxiety. It is an evidence-based treatment designed to help you learn to respond more effectively to your OCD symptoms, reduce your anxiety, and get back to living your life. If OCD symptoms are interfering with your life, working with a therapist can help.
People with OCD have uncomfortable and unwanted intrusive thoughts (i.e., obsessions) and the urge to do behaviors or rituals to feel less distress (i.e., compulsions). Many people with OCD feel overwhelmed and stuck repeating compulsive rituals, avoiding anxious triggers, or seeking reassurance even if they know these responses are not rational. These feelings can make people feel trapped and often lead to a cycle of avoidance to try to manage the anxiety but at the cost of making your life smaller and smaller over time.
Do any of the following resonate with you?
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Thoughts pop into your head that are unwanted and distressing
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You find yourself constantly worried and asking for reassurance over and over again
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You keep doing rituals or behaviors to reduce anxiety but find that they only help you feel better in the short-term
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You keep avoiding things that make you anxious, finding that your life has gotten smaller and smaller over time
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Your relationships have suffered and people are getting frustrated with your anxiety-driven behaviors
If these sound true for you, I want you to know that you're not "crazy" and that there’s nothing wrong with you. You may be experiencing OCD and ERP is a treatment that can help. You don't have to keep living like this and it's ok to ask for help, even if it's hard.
ERP can help you break free and stop OCD from controlling your life. Decades of research have shown that ERP can help you change how you respond to anxiety, reduce distress, and free you to pursue the life you want, even while living with OCD. The goal of ERP is to change the way you respond to anxiety. Instead of constantly fighting anxiety, you want to change your perspective and accept the things that make you anxious. You learn that you can have anxiety and discomfort and continue to pursue valued actions without having to let the anxiety distract you and take up your time and energy.
As a licensed clinical psychologist, I am passionate about helping others improve their mental health. I use a warm, nurturing approach to create a customized therapy plan that addresses your unique needs. You are not alone in these complex and overwhelming mental health challenges.
Many people feel trapped by their compulsions. I understand the difficulty of living this way. The good news is there is hope for recovery. We understand OCD, and we know how to treat it.
ERP focuses on helping you reduce trigger frequency and intensity. By gradually exposing yourself to certain stimuli, we can help shift the way you respond to your intrusive thoughts, that works to deflate their power and impact. I can help you develop coping mechanisms to manage anxiety and move forward without relying on compulsions to feel better.
If persistent behaviors and thoughts are interfering with your well-being, ERP can give you life back. Reach out today to book an appointment and get started on your mental health transformation. We will create a personalized plan that ensures lasting results for a better way of life.