OCD Treatment How Can You Recover From OCD? By Owen Kelly, PhD Owen Kelly, PhD Owen Kelly, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, professor, and author in Ontario, ON, who specializes in anxiety and mood disorders. Learn about our editorial process Updated on March 02, 2020 Medically reviewed Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Daniel B. Block, MD Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD LinkedIn Twitter Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print FatCamera / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Overview What to Expect From Treatment When OCD Is Severe Medications Can Help Your Recovery If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you may want to know how long it might take for treatment to help get the symptoms under control. OCD is chronic, which means that it is an illness that you will potentially be dealing with (on some level) for the rest of your life. There is no cure, unfortunately, but many people with OCD are able to get substantial control over their symptoms with proper treatment. Overview It's important to remember that even if your OCD is under control, symptoms can return, particularly if you don't actively employ the coping strategies that you may have learned in psychotherapy and/or if you stop taking any prescribed OCD medications. The sooner that you get treatment for your OCD symptoms, the sooner you are likely to feel better. There are many barriers to OCD treatment, and many people with OCD do not get the therapy that they need to feel their best. So, make sure that you advocate for yourself, take your symptoms seriously, and ask for help if you are having trouble finding the right doctor or the resources that you need. It is a health condition just like any other. What to Expect From Treatment Note that your OCD symptoms may actually seem to get worse when you first start therapy. When undertaking cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), it's not unusual to initially experience greater anxiety than you did before you started therapy. This is natural and is a result of finally confronting many of the feared thoughts, objects, or behaviors that you previously avoided. Don't let this worry you or prevent you from following through with your treatment. You are likely to see an improvement in your symptoms as treatment continues, so don't give up. Be sure to speak openly and honestly with your therapist or mental health care professional so that your treatment can be tailored to your individual needs as much as possible. OCD Discussion Guide Get our printable guide to help you ask the right questions at your next doctor's appointment. Download PDF Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. The Best Online Therapy Programs We've tried, tested and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain. How Long Does It Take for Therapy to Work? It is difficult to answer this question because every person is different. Much of this variability relates to how severe your OCD symptoms are, how faithful you are in completing your treatment homework assignments, the skill of your therapist, your relationship with the therapist, your insight with respect to the effect of symptoms, and how motivated you are to get your symptoms under control. Generally speaking, most people with OCD can expect to complete between 12 and 20 therapy sessions before they see a clinically significant decrease in OCD symptoms. How Often Should You Have Therapy? The frequency of therapy sessions will vary depending on many factors, including the severity of your symptoms and how much they are negatively affecting your life. But typically, at the outset of therapy, it can be helpful to have sessions twice weekly to build momentum and then drop down to weekly sessions as time goes on. Maintenance Therapy and Booster Sessions More often than not, booster sessions are required to maintain gains that are made in therapy. These booster sessions may be needed on and off throughout your life. It can be tempting to skip these follow-up sessions, especially if you are feeling well. If you struggle with this, think back to the work that you did to get to the point where you are now. A little therapy now to maintain your freedom from OCD symptoms is worth it to save yourself from more extensive therapy down the line. Continuing to manage stress in your life is also extremely beneficial. An Overview of Stress Management When OCD Is Severe If you're experiencing especially severe symptoms, including engaging in rituals most of the day or being unable to leave the house because your obsessions or compulsions are so bad, a prolonged course of treatment—sometimes for months—in an inpatient intensive treatment program may be advised. When OCD is severe, you would receive a lot of psychotherapy through the completion of daily exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP). Medications Can Help The combination of ERP and medication management is often used to treat OCD, an combining the two is often regarded as more effective than either on its own. According to the International OCD Foundation, the combination of ERP and medication is considered the first-line treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder. The International OCD Foundation suggests that 70% of people with the condition will benefit from treatment with ERP, medication, or a combination of the two. Medications prescribed to treat OCD may include antidepressants and antipsychotics. Medications that have been approved by the FDA specifically for the treatment of OCD include Anafranil (clomipramine), Paxil (paroxetine hydrochloride), Prozac (fluoxetine), and Zoloft (sertraline). When first-line treatments are not effective or in severe cases, doctors may recommend other options such as deep brain stimulation, IV clomipramine, or laser-guided brain surgery to the thalamic tract. Your Recovery The good news is that you can greatly influence how long it takes you to benefit from psychotherapy. The more consistent that you are in attending therapy sessions and the more homework assignments that you complete on your own, the faster you will see results. Remember that getting well is only half the battle; you need to make sure that you take steps to stay well, too. Living Well With OCD 9 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Öst LG, Havnen A, Hansen B, Kvale G. Cognitive behavioral treatments of obsessive-compulsive disorder. A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published 1993-2014. Clin Psychol Rev. 2015;40:156-169. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.06.003 Strayhorn J. Editorial: Cognitive-behavioral therapy versus serotonin reuptake inhibitors for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2020;59(2):219-221. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2019.03.015 García-Soriano G, Rufer M, Delsignore A, Weidt S. Factors associated with non-treatment or delayed treatment seeking in OCD sufferers: a review of the literature. Psychiatry Res. 2014;220(1-2):1-10. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2014.07.009 Mancebo MC, Eisen JL, Sibrava NJ, Dyck IR, Rasmussen SA. Patient utilization of cognitive-behavioral therapy for OCD. Behav Ther. 2011;42(3):399–412. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2010.10.002 Abramowitz JS, Blakey SM, Reuman L, Buchholz JL. New directions in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of OCD: theory, research, and practice. Behav Ther. 2018;49(3):311-322. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2017.09.002 Koran LM, Simpson HB. Guideline watch (March 2013): Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. American Psychiatric Association. Grøtte T, Hansen B, Haseth S, Vogel PA, Guzey IC, Solem S. Three-week inpatient treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: a 6-month follow-up study. Front Psychol. 2018;9:620. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00620 International OCD Foundation. How is OCD treated?. Leeuwerik T, Cavanagh K, Strauss C. Patient adherence to cognitive behavioural therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Anxiety Disord. 2019;68:102135. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2019.102135 Additional Reading Benatti, B., Camuri, G., Dell’Osso, B. et al. Which factors influence onset and latency to treatment in generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder?. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2016;31(6):347-352. doi:10.1097/YIC.0000000000000137 Peselow ED, Pizano DR, IsHak WW. Maintenance treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder: findings from a naturalistic setting. Ann Clin Psychiatry. 2015. 27():25-32. By Owen Kelly, PhD Owen Kelly, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, professor, and author in Ontario, ON, who specializes in anxiety and mood disorders. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Speak to a Therapist for OCD Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.