Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy for OCD

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy

• ERP therapy is a highly effective therapeutic modality for relieving OCD symptoms, by interrupting the cycle of obsessions and compulsions.
• It provides relief from distressing and intrusive thoughts, as well as the repetitive behaviors associated with OCD.

Characteristics of ERP Therapy

• ERP therapy is a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that gives people with OCD greater insight into their obsessions and compulsions.
• It provides patients with skills for preventing compulsive behaviors they typically use in response to obsessions.

Effectiveness of ERP Therapy

• Research has shown ERP therapy to be extremely effective for OCD, with 80 percent of ERP patients experiencing relief from OCD symptoms.
• ERP therapy is now considered the gold standard of care for OCD.

History of ERP Therapy

• ERP therapy was created by Stanley Robinson in the 1970s, drawing from past studies on classical conditioning.
• Robinson's work was influenced by behavioral scientists such as Ivan Pavlov, John Watson, and Joseph Wolpe.
• Wolpe's method of systematic desensitization forms the basis of ERP therapy.

Understanding OCD

• People with OCD experience cycles of obsessions and compulsions, triggered by situations, people, or objects.
• Common obsessions include fear of germs, fear of harm to oneself or others, taboo thoughts, and dread of making a mistake.
• Compulsions include counting, repeated handwashing, checking, and specific repetitive thoughts.

How ERP Therapy Works

• ERP therapy appears to address compulsive behaviors, but ultimately weakens the obsessive thoughts that trigger those compulsions.
• Over time, patients learn to cope with their obsessions, reducing their frequency and intensity.
• An example of ERP therapy involves exposure to a feared object (e.g. a doorknob), followed by response prevention techniques to resist compulsive behaviors (e.g. repeated handwashing).