Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder can feel like being caught in a relentless cycle of anxiety and lack of control. One therapeutic approach that has been scientifically proven to treat OCD is exposure and response prevention. ERP can completely change the way someone with OCD responds to their triggers.
What is OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder characterized by intrusive, unwanted ideas, thoughts, or feelings (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) aimed at reducing the distress brought on by those obsessions.
These compulsions provide only temporary relief. Afterward, anxiety returns, and the cycle gets reinforced. Over time, these obsessions and compulsions can take over a person’s life and make it hard to complete daily tasks.
What is ERP therapy?
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) specifically designed for OCD. It operates on the premise that when a person faces the situations they fear and resists the urge to perform their compulsive rituals can help break the cycle of obsession and compulsion.
ERP involves exposing someone with OCD to the thoughts, images, or situations that trigger anxiety (exposure) and then encouraging them to refrain from engaging in their usual compulsive responses (response prevention).
Exposure in a therapeutic setting
Exposure is a fundamental piece of ERP. It involves systematically and gradually approaching situations that provoke anxiety. Therapy sessions will begin with those that cause milder distress and progress to more challenging situations. The goal is to help a person build tolerance to the anxiety, which shows them that the consequences they imagine aren’t likely to happen.
For example, one of the more common OCD obsessions is germ contamination, which can lead to compulsive hand washing, making the skin raw and sore. Exposure in an ERP setting might involve deliberately touching surfaces perceived as dirty (such as a doorknob or faucet handle) and then resisting the urge to wash their hands immediately. Over time, this process helps rewire the brain’s response to anxiety-provoking stimuli, therefore lessening the need for compulsive rituals.
Response prevention after exposure
While exposure confronts the obsessions, response prevention tackles the compulsions. This part of ERP involves resisting the urge to perform rituals that typically follow obsessive thoughts. By refraining from engaging in compulsions, the client learns that their anxiety naturally diminishes over time. This gives them more control over their thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
For the person afraid of catching and spreading germs, the therapist will encourage them to gradually touch more surfaces after touching the “dirty” surface. They might start with an object (like their phone or wallet) and progress to touching parts of their body and face. While this might cause stress at first, this exercise helps challenge their belief that something catastrophic will happen if they’re not able to wash their hands.
How ERP impacts those with OCD
ERP is considered a first-line treatment for people struggling with OCD. Many studies show that it reduces anxiety, decreases OCD symptoms, and allows patients to live unburdened by their compulsions. The journey through ERP isn’t easy—at first, a client might feel stressed and anxious by the exposure techniques. But over time, they see that their fears that lead to compulsions don’t materialize.
As they go through ERP, the anxiety pathways in their brain become rewired. Neural imaging on ERP patients has shown changes in brain activity and connectivity following ERP, meaning the therapy leads to real changes in neural functioning.
Is ERP right for you?
If you’ve been struggling with OCD, therapy is the best way for you to find a new quality of life. We at Mindworthy Therapy have several therapists trained in ERP and specialize in OCD. Together, we can develop a treatment plan that works best for you.
To find out more about the impact ERP can have on those with OCD, please reach out to us.
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