5 Things I Want You To Know About Anxiety and OCD - From A Therapist With Lived Experience

1. Intrusive thoughts and images are not a reflection of who you are or what you value 

I get it - the thoughts feel real, vivid, heavier even. They demand attention and make you think they mean something important or are a reflection of you. Your intrusive thoughts (& maybe even images) are most likely about the things you care about most, that’s what keeps us stuck in them. If you didn’t care so much about the content of the thought, you wouldn’t worry that they are reflective of something deeper. But it’s not. It’s a function of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), it means well really, it wants to protect us from something bad happening, becoming something we don’t want to be - that’s why these thoughts are ego dystonic, literally the opposite of who we are, what we value and hope to become. 

2. The compulsions and avoidance are only providing short-term relief 

If you’re anything like me (and thousands of others who experience symptoms of anxiety and OCD), you don’t want to experience discomfort. So, when an intrusive thought pops up & your brain remembers “the last time we did a compulsion, we felt a little better,” it’s going to want to do that compulsion again. Maybe you start to feel anxious or even like you’re about to have a panic attack before leaving the house - you know if you just stay home, the symptoms will go away, so you do. Yes, avoidance and compulsions provide relief in the moment, but this relief is always temporary. If it really worked, would you have to keep doing the compulsions? Avoiding the people, places and things that stir up symptoms? They are actually the very thing keeping you stuck in the never ending cycle. 

3. You don’t control if intrusive thoughts pop-in, but you do get to decide how you respond 

I know, it doesn’t always feel like it - but it’s true. When an intrusive thought enters, it almost always demands attention, it makes you feel like you’re being responsible by giving it tons of air time. Your brain is a creature of habit, so it will want to do what it’s used to & if you’ve developed the habit of ruminating (aka going down a rabbit hole), it will do just that. But good news! Your brain can learn to think in a new, different, less compulsive way (the ability to do this is called neural plasticity). There are skills such as non-engagement responses (NERs), that help teach our brain to disengage and be more present. 

4. Finding a therapist who specializes in OCD and anxiety is a game changer

There are various different therapy options that help to reduce symptoms of anxiety, panic and OCD. It is so important to find someone who is trained and well-versed in the symptoms that are bringing you to therapy. The “wrong” therapy only prolongs symptoms and could even worsen them. Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) are all effective, evidence-based treatments. A therapist trained in these modalities of therapy can help teach you skills to reduce symptoms, provide psychoeducation to help you better understand your thoughts and behaviors and provide a supportive therapeutic space. 

5. Progress isn’t linear, you will have “bad days” - but it does get better 

In the thick of my symptoms, I would get SO frustrated when I would have an off day or even an off week. It’s really easy to be hard on yourself about not getting better, but it’s actually normal for progress to not be linear. Sometimes, part of therapy is learning to build self-compassion. Overcoming anxiety, panic and OCD is hard, remember to be nice to yourself! 

If you want additional support and to learn how therapy can help you, click here or the button below to schedule a free 15 minute consult call. 

Please note, I am only licensed in NY, MD and NJ at this time.