The Cure For OCD: Everything You Need To Know
I use the word "cure" because I know that's what you're searching for. The honest answer is that no cure makes OCD disappear, but treatment can get you to where it stops running your day.
By Nathan Peterson, LCSW, OCD therapistIs there a cure for OCD?
Not in the sense of a pill or a one-time fix that makes OCD go away forever. What treatment does is change how you respond to the thoughts. When you stop doing the rituals, the thoughts lose their pull. They may still show up, but they don't take over.
With treatment, OCD can move to the background. It might flare during stressful times, and then you use your skills and it settles down again.
I know, "no cure" is not what you wanted to read. But waiting for the thoughts to stop before you start living is the trap. Recovery is living with them in the background.
What is OCD?
OCD is a loop. An unwanted thought shows up (the obsession). It brings anxiety or doubt. You do something to feel better (the compulsion). The relief teaches your brain the thought was important, so it comes back. Read 5 myths about OCD for more.
Symptoms of OCD
- Unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that keep coming back
- Anxiety, doubt, or a feeling that something isn't "right"
- Checking, washing, counting, or repeating
- Mental rituals, like reviewing, analyzing, or praying a thought away
- Asking for reassurance or Googling for an answer
- Avoiding places, people, or things that set off the fear
OCD can latch onto almost any theme, like harm, relationships, religion, or contamination. It's easy to have OCD and not know that's what it is. Take the free OCD test if you're not sure.
Treatments for OCD
Exposure and response prevention (ERP)
ERP is the main treatment for OCD. You face the fear on purpose, a little at a time, and skip the ritual. Your brain learns it can handle the thought without doing anything about it.
Medication
SSRIs are the most common medication for OCD. They can take the edge off enough to make ERP easier. That's a conversation for your doctor.
What doesn't help much
Relaxation, meditation, and yoga are good for your life in general, but they don't treat OCD. If you use them to make an OCD thought go away, they can turn into another ritual. Arguing with the thought or trying to prove it wrong usually backfires too.
Stop looking for the thing that makes OCD disappear. Next time a thought shows up, let it be there, skip the ritual, and keep going with your day.
If you want help building the whole plan, that's what Master Your OCD is for.
Common questions about an OCD cure
Is there a cure for OCD?
No cure makes OCD disappear for good. But treatment works well. You can get to where OCD barely gets in the way, and go long stretches without noticing it much.
Can OCD go away on its own?
OCD often goes up and down, but it usually doesn't go away by waiting. Learning ERP is what helps.
What's the most effective treatment for OCD?
Exposure and response prevention (ERP). Medication, usually an SSRI, can help too, and the two are often used together. Talk to your doctor about medication.
Can OCD come back after treatment?
It can flare up again, often during stressful times. That's normal. The skills you learn in ERP still work, so a flare usually doesn't last as long.
