Can OCD be cured? Unfortunately, there is no miracle cure – but therapy helps

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often misunderstood as a quirky personality trait, but in reality, it’s a chronic and deeply distressing mental health condition. If you live with OCD, you know how overwhelming it can be — intrusive thoughts and compulsions may have taken over your life, leaving little room for joy or peace.

Unfortunately, there is no miracle cure that will make OCD disappear forever. But treatment offers a way to manage your symptoms and gain the tools you need to live a fulfilling life.

In this article, I’ll try to answer the question: Can OCD be cured? And, if not, what options do you have to make life with OCD even a little bit easier?

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Does severe OCD ever go away? Is there a miracle cure for OCD?

As much as I wish I could snap my fingers and “cure” everyone with OCD – imagine how much less suffering there’d be in the world – this mystical cure for OCD simply doesn’t exist. But that doesn’t mean that the emotional pain and distress you’re feeling right now, in the throes of the worst of OCD, will last forever.

OCD is a chronic condition, which means that it isn't curable. There is no medication or therapy that you can receive that will make OCD disappear forever, the way you can take antibiotics to cure an infection.

The good news is that OCD treatment is very effective. The first-choice treatment for OCD is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) called exposure and response prevention (ERP therapy). This psychotherapy type is up to 80% effective in reducing symptoms of OCD.

EDP, especially when it’s combined with medication and other types of therapy, can help you manage (although not cure) your symptoms and live a healthy and happy life.

Does OCD go away with age?

You might also wonder if OCD can become less severe or even completely get better with age. It’s a reasonable question, because research shows that the symptoms of some other conditions, like borderline personality disorder, can improve with age.

Unfortunately, we have no evidence that suggests that OCD goes away with age. In fact, if you leave OCD unaddressed, it can actually get worse as you get older. You might also face different triggers as you get older, and hormonal changes during menopause can also affect your overall mental health.

Some people do find that obsessions and compulsions get less intense over time, or that they fluctuate through the years. But it’s unlikely that OCD will go away on its own without treatment.

Signs that symptoms of OCD are improving

OCD may not have a “cure,” but that doesn’t mean that it’ll always be just as hard to live with as it is now. The right treatment can help you learn how to manage your symptoms, and many people who receive OCD treatment live day-to-day lives that no longer revolve around avoiding OCD triggers.

Some signs that your OCD is becoming better managed include:

You no longer get stuck in OCD loops, or you’re able to break out of them more quickly. You can notice when your compulsive behaviors are trapping you in a vicious cycle, and stop doing compulsions as soon as you notice.

You develop a different relationship with uncertainty. OCD is referred to as “the doubting disorder” because no level of certainty is ever enough – your brain will always doubt. For example, even if you’re 99% sure you didn’t run anyone over on the way to work today, that remaining 1% can feel torturous. When you start treating OCD symptoms, you may notice that you’re more able to withstand uncertainty, both as it relates to OCD and in your everyday life.

You no longer feel the need to avoid triggers at all times. In the darkest times of OCD, it can feel like anything can become a trigger for obsessive fears. This might cause you to avoid every person, place, or thing – some people with severe OCD become unable to leave the house. When you start managing your symptoms, you may not feel the intense need to avoid anymore. You know you could get triggered, but you're able to take the risk.

Symptoms of an associated mental health disorder, like depression, start to improve. Up to 70% of individuals with OCD also have depression. If you still feel like your OCD symptoms themselves are still there, but your mental health overall is improving (for example, your mood is better), then it could be a sign that treatment is working.

Your life starts to expand. Instead of feeling like your entire life revolves around dealing with OCD – performing compulsions for hours or avoiding triggers. You may start to remember who you are outside of OCD, and engage in other interests and hobbies. If you were isolating yourself, you could start to connect with loved ones again.

These improvements don’t necessarily mean that OCD never bothers you again, but life may feel more fulfilling and meaningful. You feel like yourself again.

Treatment options for OCD

Even though OCD isn’t curable, OCD treatment is extremely effective. Studies suggest that up to 70% of people can recover from OCD with effective treatment.

There are many different treatment types that can help with OCD. The right treatment for you depends on many factors, including the severity of your symptoms and the amount of flexibility you have in your schedule.

Outpatient therapy

Outpatient OCD treatment means that you’ll be attending therapy about once a week for your sessions. Individual therapy is the most effective for OCD, but depending on your situation, you may also benefit from family or couples therapy. If you want to try medication like SSRIs, you can also see a psychiatrist.

For many people, outpatient therapy can be enough to get OCD symptoms under control.

Intensive outpatient program (IOP) for OCD

But for others, outpatient therapy isn’t enough support. If you’re tortured by obsessive thoughts and time-consuming compulsions every day, you might want more support than once-a-week therapy. An intensive outpatient program (IOP) for OCD could be a good option for people who want extensive support but don’t have the time or flexibility to check themselves into an inpatient program.

Most IOPs meet several days per week for several hours a day. You will spend the time in both individual and group therapy and learn how to tackle unwanted thoughts and repetitive behaviors with licensed therapists and, in many cases, other people with OCD who understand what you’re going through.

An IOP can be a great option for those who need the intensive treatment of inpatient care, but don’t have the resources, time, or flexibility to move into a facility.

Inpatient treatment

If your OCD is debilitating, then you might choose inpatient treatment. This is when you reside in a treatment facility and focus your days on treatment and learning how to manage your symptoms. These facilities can be psychiatric hospitals or home-like environments where you and other patients live together under the supervision of staff.

Inpatient treatment is sometimes necessary when your OCD symptoms make you a threat to your own safety or when you can no longer take care of yourself (or, in rarer cases, if you become a threat to others).

OCD can’t be cured, but it can be treated

OCD is a chronic condition, but there is hope for a better life with treatment. At Thrive Therapy, our intensive outpatient program (IOP) in Phoenix, AZ, is specifically designed to support individuals struggling with OCD. Our team of licensed therapists is dedicated to helping you manage symptoms and regain control of your life.

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