Setbacks Happen

OCD is relentless. Even after you get better, there will be times that you have a minor setback and that is OK. When I weaned myself off of ERP therapy, and I was so nervous about no longer having that weekly appointment with my therapist. I had a bunch of episodes that made me feel like I was going backwards, but I kept at it.

Getting better was my first goal on my OCD journey. I knew I had to take the plunge and use ERP therapy. It was one of, if not, the hardest thing I had ever done in my life. Facing your fears in OCD is not something that is easily done. I explained it to my wife, who hates bugs. I told her to take that fear and now go outside, pick up a harmless bug and let it crawl all over you. Her answer to that was an obvious HELL NO!

My next step was to stop leaning on things and using them as a crutch in my times of need. My therapist was my shoulder to lean on when my ERP program was complete. At first, I felt like I was walking on eggshells without her. I would email her for help almost every day, even though the answer was always going to be the same. I had to use my tools I learned and work my way through it.

Once I faced the fears and practiced my responses to my thoughts, I finally broke free of my OCD. I ended up not needing to email her as often, and months started going by without me needing her help. It isn’t often that I have a setback, but now I know what to do, how to handle it and move on. It really is a great feeling!

While OCD is a monster that seems like it never will go away, you can get better if you put in the effort. Setbacks most likely will happen, and it is not the end of the world. Use these moments to practice what you have learned and these relapses will become less and less frequent.