Can OCD Go Away on Its Own?
The timeline of OCD can be different for everyone. For some, symptoms appear in childhood; for others, they can occur at any point in their life. A common question those with OCD ask is: “will these symptoms ever go away?”
What is OCD?
OCD is characterized by obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that are recurrent and cause significant distress. The anxiety and discomfort caused by obsessions is often followed by behaviors to neutralize or get rid of these feelings. These are called compulsions. It can be time-consuming to manage intrusive thoughts and engage in compulsive behaviors. Individuals with OCD can spend hours absorbed in this cycle, impairing their daily functioning.
Does OCD get worse as you age?
Maybe you faced certain challenges when OCD first started and have had different ones develop as time goes on. This may depend upon life transitions, changes in subtypes, or comorbid disorders. OCD can take up more or less space in your life for unanticipated reasons as well. Being able to navigate the ups and downs is an important skill to build.
Oftentimes, without treatment, you may rely on doing compulsions to stay afloat. This can relieve your anxiety in the moment, but reinforce the need to do so to prevent something bad from happening. This will make OCD more severe in the long run.
How can treatment help?
Getting the right treatment, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), can really improve symptoms. When we tackle your fears in a gradual way, it can help you build confidence. By doing exposures and limiting or removing compulsions, you can begin to re-engage in things that you value. You may also learn more about why your fears developed and begin to separate them from who you are as a person.
What type of treatment is best for OCD?
Exposure and Response Prevention is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It mainly focuses on the behavioral side of things. Your therapist will get an idea of your fears, the kinds of compulsions you do, or things you might avoid. You will both work together to create a hierarchy, or list of fears to work on overcoming, that includes easier and more challenging themes. Then, your therapist will create exposures for you to do. Exposures can be either imaginal or in vivo. An imaginal exposure might be creating a mental image of a feared situation and sitting with the discomfort that comes up. An in vivo exposure might be going to a location that triggers an obsession.
The key part of doing exposures is making sure response prevention is happening as well. The response prevention part of ERP means that you will limit or get rid of the compulsions that follow an obsession. This stops the cycle of relying on compulsions to feel safe. Having a trusted therapist to help you through this process can make all the difference.
How does therapy for OCD work ?
ERP is considered the gold-standard treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. In an article from the National Library of Medicine, 80% of those with OCD had reduced symptoms when treated with ERP. There is so much hope in getting better from this disorder through using evidence-based treatment.
When should I seek treatment ?
An important part of therapy is not only gaining skills for short-term management of symptoms, but long-term management as well. Consistently doing exposures can build self-discipline and train your brain to respond differently to feared situations. Reflecting on things you have already done can remind you of your ability to face more in the future.
Making sure you are doing things you value and enjoy can keep you on track. Taking care of your physical health can also impact mental health; getting good sleep, exercising, and eating well can be helpful. Along the way, you may experience set-backs. This is normal and part of the journey of having OCD. You might find it hard to show up in daily life. During these moments, it may be challenging to face exposures at the top of your hierarchy. You might focus more on being consistent and taking small steps towards recovery.
Do symptoms go away?
While OCD symptoms do not go away entirely, you can use tools to manage them and live a fuller life. You may respond better when faced with triggers due to consistent treatment. Your body may not react to a trigger with the same intensity; you might have less anxiety in response to intrusive thoughts. Even as you face a flare-up, you can choose to resist compulsions. By focusing on values and motivations in life, you can make decisions for yourself, not the ones OCD wants you to make.
OCD Treatment San Diego, CA
At Resilience Counseling, we specialize in treating OCD using effective modalities like Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Our team works with you to understand your individual fears and begin tackling an exposure hierarchy. We are here to support you through and help you build skills and tools. You are not alone! Reach out to us today to get started!
Resilience Counseling OCD Therapy - San Diego, CA
Resilience Counseling is a San Diego practice dedicated to effective science backed treatment for OCD, anxiety, and trauma. Our therapists use ERP, CBT, and EMDR to deliver practical, results focused care for children, teens, young adults, and adults. We meet clients with compassion and clear strategies that support real progress.
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Disclaimer : The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional and or medical advice, diagnosis, and or treatment. It is important to always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a mental health and/or medical condition. Never disregard any professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Resilience Counseling website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 or local emergency number immediately.
