Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common mental health condition. Individuals who suffer from it have reoccurring thoughts — called obsessions — followed by repeated behaviors (compulsions).
Living with OCD can be debilitating, overwhelming, and confusing. The most common treatment for OCD is called exposure and response prevention (ERP), in which the individual is repeatedly exposed to fears and obsessions without engaging in compulsions. This is something a therapist can support you with as you learn to make peace with living with OCD.
AwarenessÂ
Being aware of the common thought patterns you find yourself stuck in can help you begin to shift out of the relentless chains of their effects. When you have this awareness, you can then choose to respond to these obsessive thoughts differently than you have in the past.
Externalizing
If you have been diagnosed with OCD, it may feel like it defines who you are, especially when it significantly impacts your life and takes an immense amount of energy to manage. Although diagnoses are important because they can give us a framework in which to best treat a mental health condition, it is important to not over-identify with the label itself.
By externalizing what you are experiencing, feeling, or thinking, you can begin to stop these thoughts from controlling you.
Choosing Uncertainty
The essence of ERP therapy is learning to be OK with uncertainty, as it pertains to the fears and obsessions related to OCD and how you react to them. With this type of therapy, you can lessen the anxiety you feel in the presence of common triggers.
What if you took the discomfort that comes with uncertainty as a green light to keep going instead of red light to stop? What if you could cultivate safety in uncertainty? To make peace with OCD, you must begin to relate and respond to it in the opposite ways that you have in the past.
Recovery from OCD can be frustrating, uncertain, and uncomfortable. At Avalon Malibu, we recognize how intimidating recovery can be and are here to support you each step of the way. Whether this is through helping you to become aware of how OCD has manifested in your life, learn how to externalize it, and find ways to choose uncertainty, we can get you on the right path. You will also be among professionals and peers who support a safe and secure environment. To learn more, call us today at (844) 857-5992.Â
