This year, you can regain control from OCD

With the end of the year often comes a reevaluation of life, the choices we make, the paths we pursue, and all things related to our health and well-being. For those with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), this end-of-year reflection may focus on letting go of the need for certainty, the need for control, and the feelings that are not in your best interest.

I know firsthand that this is easier said than done, but I also know that it’s possible. You can live life on your own terms, rather than according to OCD’s demands, and there’s no better time to start than right now.

You can get “unstuck”

If OCD has ravaged you and made you feel like you are “stuck” living with it in control of your life, know that you are not alone. Know that you are not weak or defective for having this illness. You didn’t choose this. But here’s the good news: you get to choose your response to it. Knowledge is power—once you are educated about how OCD works, you can learn the tools to combat it.

This disorder needs your attention in order to survive and grow. Like a bully, OCD requires your response, your engagement to keep the harmful cycle going. When you directly, intentionally, and continually change how you respond, you take away OCD’s power.

What does OCD hate more than anything? Uncertainty. No matter what theme, thought, feeling, or urge, the root question is often, “How can I be sure?” To regain control, one must be willing to accept this uncertainty. We are not accepting that our fears or obsessions are true, but rather that nothing we do or say can ever be certain enough to satisfy OCD. We can relearn our responses. We can sit with anxiety and discomfort, as hard as it is, and allow doubt to be present, rather than arguing with it.

Most importantly, we can strive to live our lives. We can live based on our values and desires, independent of fear and doubt. They no longer serve us, and eventually we can recognize that they never really did. OCD tried to convince us that we weren’t strong enough to handle the distress it caused, but it lied. We are strong enough and we always have been.

Let this be a year of letting go. Letting go of the guilt and shame that OCD tried to instill. Letting go of compulsions that only provide short-term relief, loosening the tight grip of doubt and uncertainty, and embracing the unknown, the unexpected, and the uncertain. This is the year you can choose to let go of the power OCD holds.

Take back your power

This year will be different. Not because of a special moment in time or a New Year’s resolution, but because you choose something different. Make this the year that you no longer let OCD be in the driver’s seat of your life, the year that you do something different and get different results. Will it be difficult? Yes. Will it be worth it? Absolutely.

Let this year also be the year that you give yourself the same compassion that you give to others—the year that you choose yourself over the things that cause you pain and suffering. You can choose to let go of the time you lost to OCD. Forgive yourself for mistakes, poor choices, avoidance, and anything that held you back in the past.

You are not the same person you were when OCD began to whisper into your life. You are far more prepared to challenge OCD than you have ever been before. It will take practice, consistency, and perseverance. And it will still be easier than living every single day with OCD.

Treatment can help you regain control of your life

Don’t allow another year to pass without getting effective treatment for OCD. Reach out today, and make today the time for a change. Working with a qualified OCD specialist, like our therapists at NOCD, can help you develop strategies to manage OCD’s symptoms and regain your life.

NOCD therapists will never ask you to do things that go against your values or cause you or others harm, nor will they ever force you to do anything you’re unwilling to do. Instead, they will guide, support, and motivate you, helping you gradually face the fears that are holding you back from living the life that you want to live.

Your NOCD Therapy experience will be a highly personalized journey that’s thoughtfully crafted to meet you exactly where you are. We go above and beyond standard, “one-size-fits-all” therapy, tailoring each stage of treatment to your needs to help you conquer OCD. From matching you with a therapist who understands you to supporting you between sessions, our goal is to ensure you feel safe, seen, and heard every step of the way.

To learn more about getting matched with a NOCD Therapist and starting treatment that can help you conquer OCD, book a free 15-minute call with our team.