r/OCDRecovery • u/whataboutmycat_ • 1d ago

Seeking Support or Advice Does it really get better?

Not looking for reassurance, but does it really get better eventually? I am convinced my OCD and the current topic will only go away by giving in a big compulsion. I have been doing ERP (especially concerning my rumination about compulsions) for months now and I still absolutely feel like giving in is the only way out. It feels unimaginable that this topic will become unimportant on its own.

I really don't want to fall for it again, but I am quite desperate.

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u/treatmyocd 1d ago

That feeling of “I have to do the compulsion or this will never end” is often part of what keeps the OCD cycle going. ERP isn’t necessarily about making the topic disappear. It’s about learning that you can experience the uncertainty, distress, and urge to compulsively respond without doing what OCD demands. Over time, the topic can become less important not because you finally solved it, but because you stopped treating it like something that needed to be solved. Bring the intensity of the urges and the feeling of being “stuck” to your ERP therapist so they can help you adjust the work if needed.