I’ve Treated OCD For 27 Years. Here’s What I’ve Learned

The hardest part is really seeing what OCD does to people and watching what people unfortunately must go through when they meet with therapists who don't specialize in the right treatment for OCD.

They're taught coping strategies like diaphragmatic breathing and muscle relaxation, which I don't mind if people utilize, but not as part of the therapeutic experience.

When I want people to allow themselves to learn to live with doubts and uncertainties, I don't want you to just try to make them go away right away and look at them as if I should never feel this whatsoever.

No emotion is off the table.

I want you to learn to live with all emotions.

And unfortunately, there's a lot of therapists out there that once they see somebody they're working with start to get anxious or uncomfortable right away, want to calm them down and and almost treat it as if it's very dangerous to have any feeling other than calm.

This is inaccurate.

And that's why it's important to find good, specialized care.

I also see people struggle with shame and guilt and OCD creates this.

The DSM definition of OCD talks about OCD being only anxiety and discomfort, but it's also guilt and shame and disgust.

OCD will use any emotion that it possibly can in order to get people to do compulsions.

And that's why OCD gets in charge of people's lives, unfortunately, and why they suffer and suffer and suffer.

Now, in 2025, the International OCD Foundation did some research and found that 95% of Americans suffering with OCD are not getting the most effective care that they could.

That's up to 10 million Americans living with OCD, but only one in six are ever receiving a good diagnosis and true diagnosis for it.

And for those who do get that accurate diagnosis, only around 2% are receiving the most effective treatment for OCD, which is exposure and response prevention therapy.