When Jeff Bell, spokesperson for the International OCD Foundation, spoke for our OCD Twin Cities event, one of the things he said that really stood out to me was that there are no shortcuts in treating OCD.
That’s true, or at least it was in my case. I wanted easy answers: for deep theological conversations to solve my problems, or for comfort and reassurance from friends to be enough, for an hour-long conversation with a therapist each week to take away the anxiety, for an easy prescription to fix everything.
I definitely did not want the hard answer: exposure and response prevention therapy.
My psychiatrist didn’t mince words in his description: “It will be hell.”
It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life, but one of the most necessary and most rewarding. For me, there was no shortcut to healing, and since I was already living in OCD hell, the best way out was to keep going.
So, believe me, friends: I get it. ERP therapy is hard, so hard. You might think you won’t survive it. You might think your loved ones won’t survive your going through it. You might think it’s sinful or disgusting, and your exposures are probably going to be loathsome and repellent to you.
If you need to, go ahead and look for shortcuts. I know I had to.
But in the end, there were none for me, and I’d only wasted time looking for them.
While experiencing it, ERP was hell. But on the other side? It was my rescue.
JACKIE LEA SOMMERS 
Thank you Jackie, for your passion and tireless efforts to spread the truth about how those with OCD can overcome it!
Hi Jackie! How can I repost your blog on fb??
I would love to “share”!
Sam
Heal. Grow. Shine.
Samantha Bray, LCSW Compassionate treatment of anxiety, depression and OCD 3355 Bee Cave Rd #605 Austin TX 78746 t. 512. 636. 0104 samanthabraylcsw@gmail.com http://www.samanthabray.com
Yes, please do! And include the link too when you can! Thanks!
Oh, I see you asked how. Just copy/paste this into Facebook:
https://jackieleasommers.com/2014/12/07/no-shortcuts-2/
or else
https://jackieleasommers.com/OCD
Hello, I was wondering if it’s possible to have HOCD and be gay, or POCD and be a pedophile? Is it possible to be what you fear?
Hi Spencer! In my experience, no. Pedophiles don’t fear being what they are … they enjoy it. People with POCD fear it because they don’t want to like that.
With HOCD, the situation is a little bit different (as gay and straight people can both have HOCD): in this, it’s all about not wanting to be what you’re not.
Interestingly, with ERP therapy, you’re taught to embrace the uncertainty, and that is what leads you to healing.
About how often do you take time to do ERP when your on maintenance. Like once a week even when your doing well?
Hi Nikki!
I don’t do ERP at all unless I’m recognizing that I’m obsessing or doing compulsions. I return to my ERP script/recording maybe only 2 or 3 times in a year.