Anxiety Disorders Practice Test 2026 - Free Anxiety Disorder Practice Questions and Study Guide

Exposure and Response Prevention is the therapy most commonly used for OCD. It works by gradually exposing you to situations, thoughts, or stimuli that trigger obsessions, and then preventing the urge to perform the associated compulsive rituals. This approach helps your anxiety habituate over time and teaches you that the feared outcomes are unlikely or tolerable, which weakens the link between obsessions and compulsions.

This method is a structured form of cognitive-behavioral therapy and is well-supported by research as a first-line treatment for OCD. The exposure is typically done in a careful, graded way, often with guidance from a clinician, and can be combined with cognitive techniques to challenge distorted beliefs.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is primarily used for trauma-related conditions, not OCD. Interpersonal Psychotherapy focuses on relationships and social functioning rather than the obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors characteristic of OCD. Psychoeducation alone provides information but doesn’t actively teach the skills needed to reduce symptoms.