By Jennifer Rose
It’s no secret that there is a supply-demand crisis going on in America (and perhaps even the world), where there are more people who want to see a therapist than there are therapists available.
This leads to:
- Months and sometimes even years-long waitlists to see a therapist
- Non-stop phone calls to try to see a therapist only to have most of them not return your calls or put you on a VERY long waitlist
- Having to look at therapists outside of your insurance network and budget
- The person who is suffering feels defeated and that they are never going to get better
This cycle of trying to locate an OCD therapist who is an expert in Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP) is made a hundred times worse compared to looking for other therapists who specialize in other mental health conditions due to:
- The majority of therapists not being properly trained to treat OCD patients
- The number of therapists qualified to conduct ERP therapy is small compared to the number of therapists who either don’t treat OCD or say that they treat OCD but are not qualified to do so
- People being undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other mental health conditions due to lack of understanding
This seemingly never-ending cycle of identifying a qualified OCD therapist is felt much more by people who:
- Live in rural states or areas with not much mental health care available
- Are reliant on insurance and can’t afford to go out-of-network
- Come from marginalized backgrounds such as those who identify as BIPOC, autistic, or are part of the LGBTQIA+ community
- Have co-morbid conditions; some therapists feel uncomfortable treating OCD if the patient also has a co-morbid condition
When I was at a crisis point back in 2019, I was lucky to be able to see an ERP therapist who took my insurance within a month of realizing I needed that treatment.
Most people are not that lucky, especially today with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I have met many people with OCD who would give up looking for an OCD therapist because of the lack of availability or not having a connection with an OCD therapist who had space available.
The only solution they could think of is settling for a generalist therapist who does not specialize in treating OCD. The main reason for this usually is that “seeing a therapist is better than seeing no therapist at all.”
Seeing a generalist therapist can be beneficial if you don’t have OCD. However, seeing a therapist who does not specialize in OCD-specific treatment (ERP) can make someone’s OCD worse. But at the same time, we can’t ignore the reality that it is tough to find timely therapy and that the waitlists to see a therapist are long. But that doesn’t mean you give up hope or you can’t even kick-start your ERP treatment while you are in the process of finding an OCD therapist. You shouldn’t have to be punished by the broken bureaucracy of our healthcare system to get adequate mental health treatment, especially if you are ready to start.
Starting with qualified resources is an excellent step in the right direction.
I have compiled some excellent resources that will help you feel less alone in having OCD and kick-start your treatment so that by the time you can see a therapist, you will be that much more ready to start treatment.
Now I want to make it clear- these resources are not meant to substitute therapy. Additionally, if you are in a crisis, or you are ever feeling suicidal or unsafe, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing “988” (you can also access online at www.988lifeline.org), go to your local emergency room, or call 911.
All people with OCD should seek to have treatment with an OCD therapist but these resources are intended to kick-start someone’s treatment if they can’t see a therapist right away and are not in a crisis. These resources could even be used as adjuncts if you are already in treatment.
These are a few of my favorite resources…let the drum roll begin, please:
Workbooks and ERP Course:
While I didn’t personally rely too much on Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy workbooks, there are many great ERP workbooks written by qualified Exposure and Response Prevention therapists. I know that workbooks have been helpful to many people who haven’t started treatment yet or are in treatment, and they find them to be great adjuncts. I have also included a basic ERP course in the mix. Here are the descriptions of well-known ERP workbooks and the ERP course:
The Happiness Trap (Second Edition): How to Stop Struggling and Start Living
While it is not a classic ERP workbook and does not just focus on OCD (its main focus is actually on Anxiety and Depression, which are two common co-morbid conditions), I have read this book by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) expert Dr. Russ Harris. While the main focus is not on ERP, ACT is a great adjunct to ERP treatment. ACT is focused on living a values-based life despite having fears.
Getting Over OCD: A 10-Step Workbook for Taking Back Your Life (The Guilford Self-Help Workbook Series)
I have never read this workbook but it is a classic step-by-step ERP workbook written by OCD and ERP expert Dr. Johnathan Abramowitz. This book might be a good first step if you are completely new to ERP.
CBT School
If you can’t see a therapist right away but would like to get a head-start in ERP treatment, look no further than enrolling in an online ERP therapy e-course at CBT school led by world-renowned OCD therapist Kimberley Quinlan. This is an on-demand online course that teaches you the basics of ERP therapy. You get unlimited access and it is available to purchase year-round currently at $197 (which believe it or not is cheaper than one therapy session with a therapist who does not take insurance considering how much content there is in this course). They also offer payment plans starting at $66 a month. For more information on this wonderful course click on this link: https://www.cbtschool.com/erp-school-lp
Memoirs:
Some of the most powerful tools that helped me realize that I was not alone and how transformative ERP was to people’s lives have been personal memoirs of people who have suffered from OCD. The two memoirs that I listed below are my personal favorite OCD memoirs as both stories are extremely compelling.
Is Fred in the Refrigerator: Taming OCD and Reclaiming My Life by Shala Nicely
Written in 2018- this soon-to-be classic OCD memoir helped to give me the courage to turn the corner in my OCD treatment. The narrator, Shala Nicely, suffered from OCD for many years and details many of the obsessions that she suffered from throughout her life. These obsessions included trying to be certain about her career choice, BDD, and worrying about her beloved cat being trapped in her refrigerator. However, after she attended her first IOCDF conference, she felt inspired to engage in ERP and become an ERP therapist so that people wouldn’t suffer as long as she had. Highly Recommended!
Life in Rewind: The Story of a Young Courageous Man Who Persevered Over OCD and the Harvard Doctor Who Broke All the Rules to Help Him
An oldie but goody! This book, written in 2009, examines the relationship between the late Dr. Michael Jenike (who was a leader in OCD treatment and co-founded OCDI at McLean Hospital, where I went for OCD treatment) and his patient Edward Zine, who was afflicted with severe OCD. While this book does give an unflinching look as to what severe crippling OCD looks like (as well as those that also live with severe OCD feel less alone), as Edward was confined to his basement for many years before treatment, it is also an inspirational read. Edward having a compassionate relationship with a therapist (in this case it was a psychiatrist) inspired him to get better and eventually live a quality-filled life. An inspirational read especially for those with severe OCD.
Media Content:
While much media content and influencers can be very damaging for people with OCD, there is some great media content geared towards OCD recovery, ranging from OCD advocates/influencers to documentaries about OCD.
Katie O’Dunne
Katie Dunne’s Instagram account @revkrunsbeyondocd focuses on the intersection of faith and OCD, as she’s an ordained minister who has OCD. Her inspirational Instagram account is filled with encouraging affirmation posts for those with OCD (without it being reassurance seeking). She also has a website full of useful content. For more info, click on this link to her website: https://www.revkatieodunne.com/
Chrissie Hodges
Chrissie Hodges’s Instagram account @pureochrissie specifically focuses on intrusive thoughts, especially taboo themes. She is an advocate of OCD peer support, runs peer-support groups, and has also written a book about her personal experiences with OCD. For more click on this link to her website: https://chrissiehodges.com/
Extreme OCD Camp
This inspiring BBC documentary from 2013 follows six British young people with severe OCD who fly to the United States, to attend a wilderness camp in Washington State run by American therapist Peter Weiss. It is split into two parts and follows these six young people as they engage in exposures in the wilderness. The documentary is done in a very sensitive and non-sensational manner, and I’d highly recommend it.
Can Six British Teens Overcome Their OCD? | Extreme OCD Camp S1 Ep1 | Only Human
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wirZbc_imA
Can OCD Be Cured? | Extreme OCD Camp S1 EP2 | Only Human
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6UJvWs8zuI
Attend an OCD Support Group:
This is probably one of the most helpful, if not the most helpful, thing that you can do to yourself outside of traditional treatment settings. There is nothing like having a group of peers that completely understand what you are going through. Support groups are intended to be a safe and judge-free zone to open up and share ideas on what is helpful (or not helpful) in OCD recovery. Joining a support group has been one of the best things that I have done in my recovery journey. They are very accessible as many of them are now online and usually free. I have found the power of community very healing throughout my recovery journey as do other people.
The IOCDF has a directory of support groups that you can look for here:
https://iocdf.org/ocd-finding-help/supportgroups/
Podcasts:
I love listening to people’s stories and have found personal comfort in listening to people who have gone through similar things. Below I have the descriptions of my two favorite OCD-related podcasts.
OCD Stories
This podcast is hosted by Stuart Ralph, a British OCD therapist and someone who also has OCD, has weekly interviews with a wide range of guests ranging from celebrities who suffer from OCD like Mara Wilson (who played Matilda in the first movie), OCD therapists, and ordinary people that have various OCD themes which plague them. I like this podcast because the messages are very hopeful and have useful tips on how to conduct ERP and manage OCD.
Your Anxiety Toolkit
This podcast is hosted by Kimberly Quinlan (the same therapist who runs CBT school) and her podcast is more focused on techniques that could be helpful in managing OCD. Along with hearing her soothing voice, she does a fantastic job explaining how to compassionately manage OCD symptoms, which not only include ERP, but also ACT, self-compassion, and meditation.
https://kimberleyquinlan.libsyn.com/
These are just some of the resources that you can use to jumpstart your OCD treatment the right way! Also, if any resources could be helpful to people who cannot see a therapist yet, feel free to drop them in the comments section below. Hopefully, this blog post gave you hope and some ideas on starting treatment on the right foot, especially if you can’t see someone right away. Remember you are the hero of your own story and the OCD community is always here to cheer you on your road to OCD recovery!
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Jennifer Rose is a young adult thriving with OCD since being in recovery for four years. Since being the beneficiary of great therapy, Jennifer wants to pay it forward to others and is aspiring to be an OCD therapist. She is an IOCDF Grassroots Advocate and is happy to advocate on behalf of the OCD community.
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