Overcoming ROCD S2 C1: Is there a miracle cure?

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but without beating around the bush, let me tell you that sadly, there is no miracle cure for OCD. But I am certain you know that by now. People often get into extensive research, watching videos, reading blogs and books, listening to podcasts, trying supplements, trying various medicines (self-medication at that), alternative healing methods like Ashwagandha, St John’s Worts, Psilocybin or other types of therapeutic interventions such as hypnotherapy, EMDR or even ECT – to find a miracle cure for OCD. They will do everything possible – except ERP. 

People self-medicate. On social media forums they ask for names, dosages and other information about medicines that have helped others so that they can take the same. This is not only unhelpful but also dangerous. Unhelpful because the people they talk to are other sufferers and not experts; dangerous because people calibrate the dosage, start and stop medicines as per their whims, and are generally non-compliant. At the whisper of a side effect, they would want to alter the dosage or drop one pill or add another. They do not consider their doctors knowledgeable enough to help them, and end up doing what they think is right. 

This is understandable because ERP is the most difficult method to treat ROCD. But whether you like it or not, it is also the most effective. There is really no miracle cure. No amount of reading blogs and books, watching videos and listening to podcasts will help unless you decide to take the recommended action. That is like trying to learn swimming by doing everything but jumping into the pool. It won’t help. You will have to jump into the pool. You will have to tolerate the fear of drowning. You are allowed to seek help to learn. You are allowed to even use floats until you are ready to swim on your own. But jumping into the pool is a must. Similarly, jumping into ERP is a must to learn how to manage your ROCD. All things considered; ERP is still the best form of treatment for ROCD. That is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

In the next chapter, we shall look at understanding what recovery in ROCD means.