OCD THERAPY
Sick of OCD Controlling your Life?
☼ Are you tired of obsessing and overthinking about your worst fears?
☼ Feeling worn out from obsessing about the same things again and again?
☼ Exhausted from engaging in compulsions and trying to make sure your deepest fears don’t come true?
☼ Maybe you lie awake at night worrying: Are the kids okay? Should I check on them again? What if the house catches on fire? Or, what if someone breaks in?
☼ Do you keep replaying walking past someone or driving down the street to try to make sure you didn’t accidentally hurt someone?
☼ Are you losing hours of your day googling and researching or engaging in rituals to try to make sure you or a loved one doesn’t get sick?
OCD is hard, especially if you’re trying to fight it alone. Obsessive thinking patterns like these and measures you might take to try to control them can become unmanageable alone. It may seem impossible to stop the cycle of obsessions and efforts to control them. But, with the help of a specialist in therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Texas, you can move toward getting your headspace, time, and life back.
Most People Experience Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts
OCD stands for obsessive compulsive disorder, which usually starts with unwanted intrusive thoughts. Most people experience unwanted intrusive thoughts (also known as obsessions) at times. However, they don’t always talk about them over lunch, so you might think you’re the only one. These thoughts tend to bother most people—especially when they believe them. Look at our list of some common unwanted intrusive thought themes.
Common Obsession Themes:
☼ fear of contamination or germs
☼ health and illness concerns
☼ fears of accidentally harming someone
☼ fears of being harmed
☼ sexual themes
☼ relationships
☼ morality and religious themes
☼ perfectionism
☼ and yes, more
Have A Question?
Getting Relief from OCD by Yourself is Tough
You might have a difficult time disengaging from bothersome obsessions on your own. When this happens, people often try harder to get rid of obsessions, neutralize anxiety, or feel safe or certain. You might try to figure them out, google to find the “right answer,” or seek reassurance from friends and family.
You might check “just one more time,” or distract yourself by keeping busy or using background noises (such as a podcast, the news, or music). You might start to limit what you do and where you go. These efforts can seem to help reduce anxiety and obsessions in the short term.
However, with OCD these earnest efforts to cope can actually backfire, increasing anxiety and obsessions in the long term. They can start to drain the joy out of your life and even lead to depression if not treated appropriately.
Common Symptoms of OCD
☼ spending more than an hour thinking about recurrent, unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions)
☼ repeated checking, seeking reassurance, researching online, etc.
☼ overanalyzing or replaying past situations again and again
☼ your efforts to control thoughts are unsuccessful in the long-term
☼ missing out on activities that are important to you
☼ anxiety or distress
If you’re experiencing some of these symptoms of OCD, then therapy might help you to learn how to respond to obsessions more effectively.
Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy for OCD: How We Can Help You
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP, aka EXRP) is a specific form of CBT. Research indicates it is the best therapy for treating OCD and anxiety related to unwanted intrusive thoughts.
Not everyone is trained in ERP for OCD, and engaging in therapy with a therapist who specializes in OCD is important. At TherLively, we specialize in using ERP to help adults manage and overcome OCD in-person in Southlake, TX and virtually throughout all of Texas.
How does OCD treatment work?
Rather than letting OCD control your life, you and your OCD therapist can take an active approach to fighting it together. Your counselor will teach you more about how OCD tends to work and help you identify patterns in your unwanted intrusive thoughts and compulsions or avoidance.
Your OCD specialist will work with you to reduce unhelpful efforts to cope with anxiety (e.g. avoidance) and create an exposure plan tailored specifically to you (to direct you in gradually facing your fears).
Once you have a solid foundation of strategies to support you in managing OCD, your therapist will guide you in exposures during therapy sessions to help you change how you respond to unwanted intrusive thoughts. This approach can reduce anxiety over time. Through this short-term investment of facing your fears, ERP for OCD can help you to move toward a fuller life in the long-term.
You might have more questions about OCD treatment
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While there are no guarantees, receiving the right kind of therapy for OCD can make a real difference. Unfortunately, people often receive therapy that is not tailored to OCD, which can sometimes exacerbate OCD. If you haven’t fully engaged in Exposure and Response Prevention therapy with a specialist in OCD, then you can be very optimistic that this approach could make a meaningful difference in your life. We take the time to get a thorough understanding of what you’re experiencing and what OCD looks like in your life in order to tailor exposures to you. We’ll also check in with you regularly on how you’re feeling and measure progress toward your goals along the way to make sure we’re on the right track and adjust if needed.
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Unfortunately, delaying treatment when you’re suffering from OCD often leads to more severe symptoms and more anxiety. We understand the idea of facing your fears can be scary. Engaging in ERP can increase your anxiety in the short-term, but research indicates it tends to lead to less anxiety in the long-term. That’s why your OCD counselor will take the time to get to know you and build a foundation of supports before starting ERP. Check out our blog post on additional supports to assist you in ERP. If we think it would be helpful, we’ll also give you tools to help you better manage anxiety before starting ERP..
Potential Benefits of OCD Therapy:
Engaging in exposures with an experienced OCD therapist can make treatment even more effective than trying to do it alone. Research indicates ERP for OCD is also effective when conducted virtually, allowing you to face your fears in your day-to-day environment (such as at home). Whether in the office, out of the office, or virtually, we’ve guided numerous people like you through Exposure and Response Prevention therapy to conquer OCD.
People who completed treatment for OCD have described:
☼ No longer being controlled by anxiety
☼ Being more present with people and in their lives
☼ Getting hours back in their day (not focused on obsessions, rituals, or avoidance)
☼ Doing previously avoided activities again (e.g. driving far distances, going to events, flying, cooking)
☼ Better focus at school/work
☼ Less obsessing
With Our Help, You Can Live a Fuller Life
If you’d like to learn more about the process of starting therapy with a psychologist who specializes in OCD at TherLively in Southlake, Texas, please check out our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you’re ready to schedule an appointment with one of our OCD specialists, then complete the therapy interest form on our Contact page by clicking the button below. We’re usually able to get back to you within 48 business hours.
