07/21/2025
Although it may feel impossible to break out of the OCD cycle once it’s established, there are ways to do so. The two most researched ways to seek help for OCD and break this cycle are through therapy and medications. Other strategies can help break OCD thought loops, such as practicing mindfulness, seeking support from others, and becoming more comfortable with uncertainty.
Here are some strategies for how to break the OCD cycle:
Seek Professional Treatment
The best way to break the OCD cycle is to begin OCD treatment. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is considered a first-line treatment for OCD because research has repeatedly shown it to be the most effective way to stop compulsions. Medications for OCD may also sometimes be recommended, along with other types of behavioral therapies. Remember, every individual is unique, and it is important to find a treatment plan that works for you.
Treatment options for OCD include:
Exposure and response prevention (ERP): ERP for OCD has been identified as the gold standard treatment for OCD due to its effectiveness. ERP helps break the cycle of OCD by participating in exposure exercises to provoke the feared obsession while not engaging in compulsive behaviors. This helps break the association between compulsions being viewed as the only way to achieve relief from obsessions.
Medication: SSRIs are the most commonly prescribed medication because they can help reduce the anxiety that obsessions cause. If a person’s anxiety is lower, they are more able to resist their compulsive urges and break the OCD cycle.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT helps explore the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. CBT for OCD specifically attempts to break the link between obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that are used to reduce distressing feelings, therefore breaking the cycle of OCD.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): Many obsessions are rooted in a sense of uncertainty (i.e., “What if I harm my child?”) which can cause a feeling of unease. ACT for OCD can help someone to accept the feeling of uncertainty and any related emotions that come up with it. As uncertainty-related distress decreases, so will the drive to perform compulsions.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): In EMDR for OCD, the main focus is lessening present-day distress that occurs with the obsessions. This approach traces back the root of this distress to desensitize and reprocess past events contributing to present OCD symptoms.
Practice Mindfulness & Meditation
Mindfulness can help break the OCD cycle by encouraging individuals to observe their thoughts and feelings without judgment. This approach allows people with OCD to experience intrusive thoughts without feeling ashamed or guilty. This will reduce the anxiety they feel and make them less likely to perform compulsive rituals.
Additionally, mindfulness exercises like meditations for OCD and breathing exercises for anxiety can regulate the nervous system. This can help someone to reduce the anxiety they feel when their obsessions are triggered and make them less likely to use compulsions to cope. Mindfulness also encourages a person to stay in the present moment, as opposed to ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. This awareness combats many OCD mental compulsions.
Seek Out Social Support
Being stuck in the OCD cycle can be isolating, like you’re going through this alone. Reaching out to social support and asking for help in your OCD recovery process is as important as professional support. If you are struggling to find support in your personal life, there are many different support groups for individuals with OCD that can act as a source of comfort and camaraderie. For more information, visit: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/ocd-cycle/
Therapy ❤️
