Guide To Effective OCD Treatment Options

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is the main form of psychotherapy used for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is a specific subset of cognitive behavioral therapy. Not all CBT therapists are trained in exposure and response prevention, so when individuals seek treatment for OCD, they need to find someone who is. Throughout ERP therapy, patients will slowly be exposed to what triggers their obsessions. They will then be asked to avoid performing the compulsions that typically ease distress and anxiety. A good ERP therapist will move at their patient's pace. They should never be forced or coerced into doing something they don't want to do. To create a treatment plan, patients will need to describe the obsessions and compulsions they face. The patient and their therapist will write them down and arrange them in a list from least to most frightening. As patients start treatment, their therapist will ask them to face one of the fears on their list, starting with the easiest and working their way up.

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Habit Reversal Training

Habit reversal training is used as a therapeutic technique for a variety of different disorders. On top of OCD, habit reversal training can be used for Tourette's syndrome, pathological skin picking, and compulsive hair-pulling. The first component of this training is awareness training, which is a way of helping the person be more aware of their compulsions, tics, and other behaviors. Awareness training is typically broken down into several steps. After the patient has developed an awareness of when their behavior or tic occurs, their therapist will help them create a competing response, an action that helps replace the impulsive behavior or tic. The competing response tends to oppose the tic, and it can be continued for more than a few minutes. One example would be rather than pulling hair, an individual might curl their hands into fists and hold them firmly at either side of the body. Ideally, the competing action will be one others won't likely notice. To motivate themselves to keep behaviors from recurring, patients are encouraged to list the problems their behavior causes.

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