How to Manage OCD

Treatment approaches

1. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): This is a form of cognitive therapy considered effective for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). During ERP, a therapist helps you deliberately place yourself in situations that would normally make you anxious, and encourages you to face your fears while letting the thoughts happen without "putting them right" or neutralising them. After the first few times, you will find that your anxiety does not rise as much and does not last as long; then you move on to more difficult exposure exercises.

The steps involved in ERP:

• Identify triggers: Identify the situations, objects, or thoughts that trigger your obsessive thoughts.
• Create an exposure hierarchy: Make a list of these triggers, from the least anxiety-provoking to the most.
• Begin exposure: Start with the least anxiety-provoking situation on your list and expose yourself to it until your anxiety subsides.
• Stay in the situation: Using relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation, stay with the situation until your anxiety comes down.
• Repeat: Repeat these steps for each item in your hierarchy until you reach the most anxiety-provoking situation.
• Prevent compulsions: During exposure, resist the urge to perform compulsive behaviours such as washing your hands or checking the lock.

It is important to note that ERP should be done under the guidance of a mental health professional; however, for small triggers you can also practise it on your own.

2. Thought stopping: If a thought keeps coming back and you cannot control it at all, wear a rubber band on your wrist. Whenever a disturbing thought arrives, snap the band. You will feel a slight pain — that pain is the whole point of the technique. It draws your attention away from the thought, and the thought fades temporarily. Keep practising this way.

3. Breathing relaxation: Breathing relaxation helps a lot with OCD. Sit in a quiet place and close your eyes, take a deep breath filling your chest, hold it for 4–5 seconds, then slowly release it through your mouth. As you breathe in, imagine fresh air flowing through your body and yourself relaxing. This process restores the balance of oxygen in the brain.