Exposure therapy has countless applications and a bunch of different variants, depending on what it’s used for. The name is self-explanatory. Applied by a professional, this form of therapy aims to provide healing through consistent exposure to whatever triggers the issue.
The goal is to help individuals face their fears in a safe and structured way, reducing the power those fears hold over time.
Learning how to do exposure therapy for OCD requires training and a professional approach. Obviously, this form of therapy must be customized according to the patient’s needs and issues. With this idea in mind, let’s find out how exposure therapy works and what it can do for those struggling with OCD.
A Few Words About Exposure Therapy
When it comes to OCD, ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) is one of the most effective treatments. It implies exposing the patient to whatever they’re not comfortable with. This is the form of exposure, which brings the patient closer to their fears.
On the other hand, the response prevention part implies focusing on stopping all sorts of compulsions. The idea behind this therapy is to show the brain that the feared outcome will never become reality. And even if it does, it’s usually easy to manage and keep under control.
This way, the therapy clears out anxiety in a gradual manner. Obviously, to be successful, this therapy requires exposure therapy training and a bit of experience. It starts with small bits and moves up with time, only for the fear and distress to decrease.
It’s a long process that breaks the OCD cycle if applied correctly.
How to Do Exposure Therapy for OCD
There are a few steps when learning how to do exposure therapy for OCD. And of course, going through this form of therapy requires a professional by your side for the effectiveness of treatment.
Find a Therapist
This is obviously the first part in the process. While people can train themselves in exposure therapy, a professional benefits from accredited training. They have the experience to customize the treatment in the smallest details too.
No matter how simple it may seem, exposure therapy is actually challenging for an untrained individual. It implies increasing stress and anxiety intentionally, but also in a controlled manner. If done incorrectly, it could make OCD even worse. Professional guidance ensures that exposure is done safely and effectively.
Establish the Fear Hierarchy
OCD affects people differently. Part of the therapy, you’ll have to come up with a list of all situations, items or things that can trigger your OCD. Of course, some of them will be much more intense than others, so you’ll also have to rank them accordingly. Creating a hierarchy will help prioritize which fears to address first so this makes the process more manageable.
There will be situations causing little to no distress, as well as situations that can cause extreme distress. Start from the lowest issue and work your way out to the most intense element. During therapy, you’ll most likely be exposed to these triggers.
Moving on to Exposure
Exposure requires thorough guidance. When learning how to do exposure therapy for OCD, this is the part where you’ll need professional help. You’ll have to confront all kinds of feared situations, as well as items that cause distress.
Some situations might be difficult or even impossible to recreate in real life. Therefore, this exposure may also be imaginary at times.
To reduce the power of these triggers, you’ll have to write everything down, but also read these thoughts aloud, no matter how disturbing they are. That’s what reduces their power in the long run.
Response Prevention
Practicing this form of prevention can break the cycle. This is a crucial step in the process. A therapist can guide you accordingly, but you’ll also have to resist the urge to do certain things.
Simply put, once you’re exposed to the trigger, you’ll have to resist performing the average compulsion. For example, if you touch a public doorknob, you might feel the urge to wash your hands. Resist it to reduce anxiety.
By not performing compulsions, you teach your brain that anxiety will subside on its own.
Some people feel the urge to check doors, walk backwards, check handbrakes and so on. No matter how stressful anxiety seems to be, you’ll have to sit with it until it drops. The idea here is to retrain your brain. It’s the optimal way to break the connection between obsession and compulsion. This process helps rewire the brain’s response to triggers.
Final Step
Last, but not least, you’ll have to repeat the process. Keep doing it until it feels natural and easy. Once you’re done, you’ll have to move up to the next thing on your fear hierarchy.
Take one thing at a time and you’ll notice that OCD can become history if therapy is applied correctly. Again, based on how intense the OCD is, you may have to stick to this therapy for weeks or even months. How you reach it will also affect the duration. Patience and persistence are essential for overcoming OCD.
In the end, learning how to do exposure therapy for OCD can definitely help. Patients need to know what they’re about to go through, as they’ll be exposed to different levels of stress and anxiety. However, professional help can definitely help in the process.