If you are suffering from OCD, you’re likely a pro at masking your symptoms, making creative excuses to avoid things/people/situations, and white-knuckling through your triggers. Why? Because OCD is lonely. It’s a fair assumption that someone who does NOT have OCD might have difficulty understanding the nuances of your unique experience. Besides the widely-held misconception that OCD is just about being organized and tidy, there can be a lot of confusion about the recovery process as well.

If you went through treatment, does that mean you’re cured?

Recovering from OCD is a marathon, not a sprint. The truth is: if you’ve struggled with OCD for much of your life, there is a part of you that has really come to depend on this coping strategy, and in a sense- it has provided a perception of comfort and safety. Going through ERP treatment with a mental health professional is the beginning of your journey in learning how the OCD has played a role in your life and learning how to re-teach yourself about healthy responses to fear and anxiety. As you’ve likely learned, that doesn’t happen overnight. Commitment to the ERP work in session (as well as formal homework, and informal exposure opportunities) is critical for success in treatment and relapse prevention.

Does that mean I’ll be treatment for the rest of my life?!

No, not at all. Once you’ve learned the fundamentals of ERP, have had the psychoeducation and support from your therapist, and have begun to experience success in reducing your symptoms, you’d be amazed at how efficiently the brain adapts and generalizes that new learning to other areas of anxiety. Translation: trust the process and stick with it. That being said, there is something empowering about being in community with other people who have an idea of what you face every day, because not only do they understand the magnitude of the fear, but they also understand the importance of the little victories. A common story I hear from my clients is that the people around them “don’t get it”, and what’s worse- their efforts are sometimes minimized by family and loved ones. If this sounds familiar, it might be time to look into joining a peer support group for people in recovery from OCD.

How do I know if this is the right group for me?

Well, if you’re looking for a definite yes or no….you know you won’t find that here. However, you might be an appropriate candidate for an OCD Recovery Support group if:

You have started or completed ERP treatment with an OCD specialist
You have experienced at least some reduction in SUDS when doing exposures independently and with your therapist
You have a desire and willingness to share and learn among others who are in similar phases of recovery and relapse prevention

Being amongst others with lived experience could be an important aspect of your recovery. We’re excited to be able to offer this service to our community, and hope to see you there!

To sign up for our next upcoming Recovery Group (offered in an online, 6-week series, 1-hour format from 6-7 pm), please follow this link to complete the Interest Form: https://forms.gle/7szbFHLudkafCfPM8

If you think you might have OCD and would like to set up a free 30-minute phone consultation with one of our OCD specialists at Ignite, please click here: https://ignite.clientsecure.me/request/clinician