What is ERP?
Before delving into what Exposure and Response Prevention therapy actually is, it’s important to first understand the aim of it and who it helps. OCD can be a debilitating condition, leaving people in a cycle of calming obsessive thoughts through compulsive behavior and mental rituals. The classic example of compulsive behavior is frequent handwashing, but there are other, more common compulsions, like chronic rumination or avoidance. Obsessions and compulsions can have a negative impact on the person’s life, and typical CBT therapy does not help. In fact, it can make obsessions more entrenched. That’s where ERP comes in. ERP treats obsessions and compulsions with tools that help a person to break out of the cycle by facing thoughts head on. And remember, you don’t have to deal with your disorder alone, if you think you might be experiencing symptoms of OCD, it’s important to talk to someone you trust or a trained professional.
How Does ERP Work?
ERP therapy works by giving participants new tools to combat engaging in obsessive thoughts and compulsive behavior, thereby breaking the OCD cycle. With discipline and care, a person is trained to engage an obsession, or put in a situation that would elicit the obsession, and then prevented from performing the accompanying compulsion. This is done time and again until the person unpairs their perception of the risk of negative consequences from their obsessions by realizing that the compulsive behavior isn’t actually preventing the feared outcome. For example, someone who obsesses about germs on counters and compulses by washing hands immediately several times, would agree to touch counters and then not wash their hands. When this is done repeatedly, in a directed manner, the person begins to unpair their fear of germs from the idea that counters are dangerous sources of germs. Maybe this sounds easy, but in fact, for someone suffering from OCD, it can feel like madness to touch counters without washing hands, like choosing to jump off a cliff with everyone else. People with OCD resist taking this step, and anyone with OCD benefits from a therapist well trained in helping them take this leap of faith.
ERP Prognosis
ERP is hands down the most effective type of psychotherapy for OCD. In fact, it has been shown to be more effective than medication alone. But a person doesn’t really have to choose. If a person feels an urgent need for results, maybe because an episode is in full swing, a combination of medication and ERP is powerful! ERP is effective, but it takes a few weeks to set up the work, learn the tools, and see results. On the plus side, once a person learns the tools, those tools are theirs for life! If they find they are obsessing or compulsing, they can design their own exposures and treat the OCD themselves without needing a visit to a therapist. But of course, if someone suffering from OCD wants the support of a therapist, the door is always open!