How to Clear OCD Thoughts by Diluting the Muddy Water of Anxiety

How to Clear OCD Thoughts by Diluting the Muddy Water of Anxiety

What if I told you that you could start clearing your OCD thoughts right now, simply by diluting the muddy water in your mind? It may sound a bit strange, but stick with me. Just like adding clean water to dirty water makes it clearer, practicing exposure therapy for OCD can retrain your brain and help you reduce anxiety. The best part? You can begin this process today—no waiting needed!

Understanding OCD: The Dirty Water Analogy

Think of your OCD as a glass of black, murky water. This dirty water represents all of those intrusive thoughts you experience. Your compulsions, the things you do to try to neutralize or prevent those thoughts, are like the dirt and grime clouding the water. It makes it hard to see clearly and keeps your mind feeling stuck. But here's the good news: you don’t have to live in this cloud of mental murkiness forever.

How ERP Helps Clean the Water

The key to clearing that mental water is through a powerful technique called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). You've likely heard of ERP before, but here's a quick refresher: ERP is the gold-standard treatment for OCD. It involves facing your fears head-on without performing the compulsions that give you temporary relief but ultimately keep you stuck. ERP works like this: each time you face a fear and resist a compulsion, it’s like adding a little bit of clean water to that glass. Over time, the dirty water becomes clearer as your mind starts to realize those intrusive thoughts aren't as dangerous as they seem.

Step-by-Step Guide to Diluting OCD with ERP

So, how can you begin this process of "cleaning" your mental water? Let’s walk through some examples of how you can start applying ERP in your daily life.

Step 1: Identify Your Fear

First, think about what you’re most afraid of. It could be something that makes your skin crawl or gives you a sense of dread. The thing is, this very fear might be what you need to confront in order to beat your OCD. But remember, we’re not asking you to do anything that goes against your morals or values. Instead, we’re focusing on the fear itself.

Step 2: Exposure Without Compulsions

Once you’ve identified your fear, the next step is to face it without giving in to those compulsions that normally follow. Let’s say, for example, that you have contamination OCD. You’re afraid of germs and avoid touching doorknobs without washing your hands afterward. In this case, your ERP "mission" might be to touch a doorknob and resist the urge to wash your hands. Over time, your brain will learn that the fear doesn’t have to control you.

Real-Life Example: Facing Contamination OCD

Let’s break it down even further. Imagine your contamination OCD makes you feel like touching a doorknob will make you sick. Here’s what you could do:

• Touch the doorknob: Start small by touching a doorknob or another object you’ve been avoiding.
• Resist the compulsion: Don’t wash your hands right away, even if you feel anxious.
• Practice uncertainty responses: As you feel the anxiety rise, tell yourself, “I may or may not get sick. Maybe I’ll feel fine, maybe not.”
• Sit with the discomfort: Allow the uncomfortable feelings to sit with you for a while. The goal isn’t to make them go away right away but to teach your brain that it’s safe to feel uncomfortable.

The Magic of Repetition in ERP

The magic happens when you repeat this process over and over. Each time you do an exposure and resist the compulsion, you add more clean water to your mental glass. Your anxiety might spike initially, but with repetition, you’ll notice that it starts to come down on its own. Your brain starts to say, "Hey, maybe this isn’t as dangerous as I thought." This is how you begin to dilute that muddy water.

What If I Don’t Have Contamination OCD?

This process applies to any form of OCD, not just contamination. For instance, if you struggle with Harm OCD, where you’re afraid of harming someone you love, your ERP mission could be holding a kitchen knife while standing near that person. That may sound intense, but remember, you’re not actually harming anyone—you’re facing your fear and teaching your brain that the intrusive thought doesn’t define reality.

ERP for Other OCD Themes

Let’s dive into a few more examples of how ERP can be used for other common OCD themes:

Moral Scrupulosity

If you experience moral scrupulosity, you might constantly worry that you’ve done something wrong or immoral. Your exposure could involve thinking about the possibility of having lied or done something unethical, and then sitting with the discomfort of not knowing for sure whether you’ve done something "wrong." You’ll gradually teach your brain that it’s okay to live with uncertainty.

Relationship OCD (ROCD)

With ROCD, you may constantly question your relationship or your feelings toward your partner. An ERP exercise might involve allowing yourself to have the thought, “What if I don’t really love my partner?” without seeking reassurance. By facing this fear without performing compulsions (like constantly asking for reassurance), you’re diluting the power of these thoughts.

Real Event OCD

Those with Real Event OCD may ruminate on past mistakes or events. In ERP, you might revisit the memory of the event and allow yourself to sit with the uncertainty of not knowing if you handled it perfectly. Each time you do this without trying to "fix" the memory in your mind, you’re adding clarity to your mental water.

Final Thoughts: Keep Pouring in the Clean Water

The path to overcoming OCD is not about making your thoughts go away—it's about changing your relationship with them. Each time you resist a compulsion, you’re adding clean water to your mind, making those muddy thoughts less powerful. Over time, the thoughts lose their hold on you, and you gain clarity. The more you practice, the clearer your mental water becomes. It’s not about perfection, but progress.

Remember, you don’t need any fancy equipment to start. A therapist can be a great resource, but if that’s not an option, you can begin ERP on your own. And if you need a little guidance along the way, I’ve linked my course below to help you get started. Let’s keep pouring that clean water and bring some clarity to your OCD journey!

Start Your ERP Journey Today

If you're ready to take the next step in treating your OCD, you don't have to wait. With ERP, you can begin at home, right now. Need some guidance? Check out my course, which walks you through the process of ERP and gives you practical tools to combat OCD. You’ve got this!