Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP)
What is Exposure and Response Prevention?
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a first-line treatment for unhelpful (and sometimes incapacitating) obsessions and compulsions. This is a trademark pattern found in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), but can also be seen in phobias, social anxiety, and other issues.
OCD is characterized by the presence of unwanted, recurring thoughts (obsessions) and/or the performance of repetitive behaviors or rituals (compulsions). Compulsions are typically performed in an attempt to alleviate discomfort and/or anxiety arising from obsessional thoughts or a general sense of incompleteness. Obsessions and compulsions are distressing and disruptive to day-to-day life.
The good news is that you can learn how to be free from obsessions and compulsions! There is hope!
ERP is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that involves providing psychoeducation, and then helping individuals confront fears or discomfort related to their obsessional thoughts (exposure), and having the individual then resist performing the compulsions (response prevention).
Individuals can be exposed to actual situations (in vivo exposure), imagined situations (imaginal exposure), or the physical sensations associated with anxiety or discomfort (interoceptive exposure).
The goal of ERP is to challenge how someone responds to distress and to eventually learn that feared stimuli are safe.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) impacts millions of people. Approximately 2.3% of adults – 1 out of 40 adults – in the United States will meet the criteria for OCD at some point in their lives. It has been ranked as one of the top 10 leading causes of disability in the world.
If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, you are not alone. There is heavily researched treatment that can help you get free.
Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) has also been proven through research to be effective at treating OCD and is quite different from Exposure and Response Prevention. Click here to learn more.
There is hope, and ERP is a part of how that hope is realized.
If you think ERP might be right for you:
Reach out to Heart of Texas Therapy Services to schedule a consultation.
References & Resources related to ERP:
Exposure and Response Prevention in the Treatment of OCD: Current Perspectives from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) - Article from International OCD Foundation
Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD: A Review and New Directions from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)