Exposure Therapy for OCD and Anxiety
effective treatment for OCD and anxiety.
At the heart of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for OCD and related anxiety disorders is the process of “exposure therapy”. There are numerous variations on exposure therapy, depending on which specific condition is being treated – for example for OCD, the treatment of choice is a specific therapy called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). All variations of exposure therapy focus on the same core principle, which is that those suffering from these conditions will experience the greatest reduction in their symptoms by repeatedly doing the very thing that most terrifies them, without responding with any behaviors that are meant to reduce or control their anxiety.
For someone with OCD focused on contamination fears, exposure therapy will likely include purposely touching doorknobs or other allegedly “dirty” items without then washing. For those with variants of Pure Obsessional OCD (Pure O), effective treatment will almost certainly include imaginal exposure, in which the client purposely and repeatedly thinks the very thoughts that they would prefer to avoid, such as thoughts of being a pedophile or a murderer. A person with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) may be asked to go out for a walk without the hat they usually wear to hide their face, or to go to a brightly-lit restaurant with a group of friends. For those with Panic Disorder, exposure might mean driving on the freeway or taking a plane flight. And an individual with Social Anxiety may be urged to go to the mall to initiate conversations with strangers. (more…)
