CBT · Paris
OCD
Gradually stepping out of the obsession–compulsion cycle.
In obsessive-compulsive disorder, a thought, an image, a sensation or a doubt can trigger anxiety or a feeling that something is incomplete. The person then tries to neutralise this experience through a ritual, a check, avoidance or a request for reassurance.
The OCD cycle
- Obsession or doubt
- Anxiety / discomfort
- Compulsion, ritual or avoidance
- Temporary relief
- The doubt returns
The relief a ritual brings is short-lived. Above all, it teaches the brain that the ritual was necessary, which strengthens the cycle.
Many forms
- Checking: doors, the gas, messages already sent…
- Fear of contamination, and washing.
- Order and symmetry.
- Intrusive thoughts, sometimes shocking, that say nothing about who you are.
- Mental repetition: counting, rereading, replaying a scene.
- Seeking reassurance, from loved ones or online.
- The need for certainty.
Exposure and response prevention — ERP
ERP means gradually facing the situations, thoughts or sensations that trigger obsessions, while learning to reduce compulsions, checking and neutralising behaviours.
Together, we build a progression from the most manageable situations to the hardest. The aim is not to drop every ritual at once, but to regain, step by step, some freedom in the face of doubt.
The work also looks at how you relate to your thoughts: learning to let them pass rather than fight them.
Immersive tools in specific situations
In some specific situations, a virtual environment may also support exposure exercises, for example by gradually recreating situations involving checking or particular triggers.
Virtual reality is not a separate treatment for OCD. When used, it remains part of exposure and response prevention work.
Learn about virtual reality-assisted exposure →