Exposure and response prevention therapy for OCD

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Exposure and response prevention therapy for OCD

Exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy is an effective way to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). With exposure and response prevention therapy, you repeatedly expose yourself to an obsession, such as something you fear is contaminated, and deny yourself the ritual compulsive act, which in this case would be washing your hands.

ERP helps break the link between your obsessive thoughts and compulsive rituals. This process is repeated every day for several weeks or months until your anxiety is reduced and you do not feel the need to perform the compulsive behavior in response to the obsessive thought.¹

References

Citations
Jacob RG, Pelham WE (2005). Behavior therapy section of Psychotherapies. In BJ Sadock, VA Sadock, eds., Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, 8th ed., vol. 2, pp. 2498–2548. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

Credits

Author	Sabra L. Katz-Wise
Editor	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor	Pat Truman
Primary Medical Reviewer	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Lisa S. Weinstock, MD - Psychiatry
Last Updated	July 27, 2006

Last updated:	July 27, 2006
Author:	Sabra L. Katz-Wise
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Lisa S. Weinstock, MD - Psychiatry
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman

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