When you’re making decisions about your mental health, it’s important to be informed. This can be especially true when you’re dealing with a widely misunderstood condition like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)—and even more so when you’re thinking about starting treatment for OCD.
Before they decide to begin treatment for OCD, people often seek out answers to questions like, “What type of treatment should I look for?” or “What exactly does this process look like? What can I expect from it?” As someone who’s received OCD treatment and helped others through it during my career as an OCD specialist, I’ve seen both sides of the experience, and I’d like to share a few things that would’ve been helpful to know before starting my treatment journey.
1. I wish I’d known that treatment would take time and practice.
I think it’s fair to say that we live in a “quick fix” society. Whether it’s fast food and drive-through stores for our hunger or urgent care for our health, we seem to gravitate towards anyone who offers an efficient solution. And it makes sense—after all, we live in a busy world where things keep spinning regardless of what we are going through, so it’s understandable to want help or relief right away when we’re going through something difficult.
But this “quick fix” mentality can make managing any mental health condition an arduous task at best. Why? Because OCD treatment isn’t a “quick fix.” It will take time, patience, and practice to get better and to stay better. There can also be setbacks along the way, but that’s okay. It’s like riding a bike: You might fall down a few times as you learn, but it doesn’t undo any of your progress.
The same goes for your treatment plan: It might take some time to learn what works best for you, given that OCD treatment can involve therapy sessions, medication, or a combination of the two. And speaking of medication…
2. I wish I’d known there are medications to treat OCD—and that for some people, ERP therapy is most effective when accompanied by prescribed medication.
Some people with OCD may have fears surrounding the use of medication, especially if they experience obsessions about their health or other medication-specific fears as a result of OCD. It is important to understand that exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy and certain medications are both considered first-line treatment options for OCD, and to learn the potential benefits of taking medication for OCD. Education is key.
It’s also important for each person receiving OCD treatment to work alongside their medical provider or a trusted psychiatrist to determine whether this medication would be most helpful for their unique situation. There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach when it comes to treating OCD, so if you’re considering medication, remember to ask lots of questions and educate yourself on the options available to you so that you can make an informed decision.
3. I wish I’d known how important it is to choose the right therapist.
Another aspect of OCD treatment that many people are unaware of is the importance of finding an OCD specialist. OCD is a very complex disorder and in order for a professional to deeply understand and effectively treat it, a significant amount of specialized training is required.
Sadly, this in-depth training in OCD often requires a significant financial investment on the part of the therapist, making it out-of-reach for many providers. And without access to this training, a therapist may struggle to understand the nuances of OCD, which can have a significant impact on the treatment experience.
Here are some questions you can ask a potential therapist that may help you figure out if they have the training and experience you’re looking for:
- Have you worked with many people who have had OCD in the past? If so, do you feel it has been successful?
- What is your primary treatment modality for treating OCD? Hint: Ideally, they’ll reference ERP therapy in their answer. While a therapist can incorporate other modalities in the treatment process, ERP should be one that they have a great deal of knowledge about, as it’s considered to be the gold-standard treatment for OCD.
- What is your specific training and background in treating OCD?
In your initial contact with a potential therapist, you’ll probably also want to get a sense of whether or not you feel comfortable around them. Training and experience are important, but the relationship you have with a therapist is also worth considering in your decision. Depending on the OCD symptoms you experience and how they affect you, there might be some heavy topics that come up in therapy. Feeling safe around your therapist can help you open up about those topics and start working through them.
4. I wish I’d known just how many other people experience OCD.
We all need a healthy support system—it’s vital for everyone, regardless of whether or not they have OCD. But if you do have OCD, finding out that you’re not alone in what you’re going through can have a powerful impact on how you feel about yourself, as well as your outlook on the future.
Hearing about other people’s experiences—both with OCD and with OCD treatment—can provide us with a sense of empowerment and the hope that we, too, can get to a point where OCD no longer rules our lives. Finding support groups or online OCD communities can be a great way to bring this sense of connection into your life.
Strengthening your support system, whether it includes family members, friends, or other groups, is also an important part of self-care. Some people may have a misconception that when you enter into ERP therapy for OCD, you are not allowed to use other self-care strategies and coping mechanisms outside of the skills you’re learning in therapy. This is not true. In fact, self-care can become a helpful way to test your new ERP skills by determining whether something is a compulsion versus a coping skill for your particular experience. This knowledge can prove to be invaluable.
5. I wish I’d known that I might have an OCD flare-up.
The majority of people who go through specialized OCD treatment experience a long-term, drastic reduction in the severity of symptoms, so this definitely isn’t a reason to lose hope. It’s something that’s helpful to be aware of, though, so that you don’t think you’ve gone back to square one if you end up experiencing a flare-up.
OCD is different for everyone, which means that flare-ups aren’t always predictable. However, we can often learn some of the things that tend to trigger them. And when we know that flare-ups are a possibility, we have an opportunity to be proactive. We can get strategies and tools in place so that if OCD symptoms do try to sneak up on us, their impact can end up being much more manageable.
A helpful first step in this process can be learning how to monitor yourself for signs that your OCD symptoms are getting worse or harder to manage. You may need to continue to have regular visits with your care team, even if you’re doing much better, just to check in and help you maintain the state you’re in.
The good news is that ERP therapy can be used throughout your life to effectively manage flare-ups, and the skills you’ll learn can be adapted to any OCD theme. ERP therapy teaches you how to manage the unwanted thoughts, images, and urges OCD can create so that eventually, they lose their power.
ERP is most effective when the therapist conducting the treatment has in-depth, specialized training in the nuances of OCD and ERP. At NOCD, we’ve created a world-class training program to make sure every one of our therapists receives this training—because we know that’s what it takes to provide the best care for our members. To find out more about how NOCD Therapy can help you start conquering OCD, you can book a free 15-minute call with our team.