Dear iloverain:

I hear your frustration, and I want to acknowledge how difficult it can be when treatments don’t seem to work. I also want to offer you some hope—while OCD can feel overwhelming, there are alternative approaches that may help, even when standard treatments haven’t been effective.

Here are three alternative treatments that some people with treatment-resistant OCD have found beneficial:

* Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP):

ERP is a specialized form of cognitive-behavioral therapy designed specifically for OCD. It involves gradually facing fears (exposure) without performing compulsions (response prevention). Over time, this helps retrain the brain to weaken the grip of intrusive thoughts.

ERP is considered one of the most effective treatments for OCD, even when medications haven’t worked.

* Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT):

ACT focuses on accepting intrusive thoughts rather than battling them. It teaches psychological flexibility, helping you detach from obsessive thinking. Instead of eliminating symptoms, ACT helps people coexist with them in a way that reduces their power over daily life.

* Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS):

TMS is a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate parts of the brain associated with OCD. It’s FDA-approved for OCD and is considered for cases where therapy and medication haven’t worked. It’s done in a clinical setting, with multiple sessions over time, and some people report significant improvements.

I also want to share a bit of my own experience. I was diagnosed with OCD, which included many compulsions, but today I no longer suffer from any physical compulsions. My psychiatrist once told me I would likely need psychiatric medication indefinitely—I took antidepressants, anxiety medications, and antipsychotics for nearly 20 years.

Eventually, I was able to wean off them and have been doing well without medication for 12 years.

Interestingly, my compulsions stopped after I unknowingly did ERP on myself in my early 30s. Without realizing it at the time, I found the strength to endure the anxiety following an obsession without performing a physical compulsion—like knocking on wood a certain number of times, or turning left and right an equal number of times, or placing black clothes under white clothes in the closet so to prevent bad luck.

At first, I simply waited to see if anything bad would happen when I didn’t perform a compulsion. Nothing happened. That realization gave me the confidence to continue resisting compulsions, strengthening my ability to let go of them completely.

I share this not to say that everyone should stop taking medication, but rather to let you know that healing can happen in different ways. You are not alone in this. I hope some of this information is helpful, and if you ever want to explore different approaches, I encourage you to do so at your own pace.

I also want to acknowledge your worries about love and relationships. OCD can create intense fears and obsessive thoughts about relationships—whether it’s doubt about feelings, fears of rejection, or the overwhelming fear of ending up alone. These fears are painful and can feel consuming, but they don’t define your future. Many people with OCD worry about relationships, yet with time, self-compassion, and trust in real-life experiences rather than obsessive thoughts, love becomes possible. You deserve connection and companionship, and your struggles do not make you unworthy of love.

I also encourage you to keep posting in your own thread—I think sharing your experiences and thoughts can help not just you, but others who may be struggling with similar challenges. You deserve support, and your voice matters.

Wishing you strength and love 💪😊 ❤️💕

anita