To overcome our fears, sometimes it takes nothing more than facing them head on."I just had an unpleasant thought of a sexual nature - I'll go pray for forgiveness.""I may have touched this person's jacket. I should probably wash my hands." "I'm not 100% sure the door is locked. I should go back and check it again." Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is caused by actions - repetition, washing, locking, counting, questioning, repeating (again), reassuring, checking. All this is done to prevent terrible consequences. Exposure therapy for OCD is about facing your OCD-related fears without engaging in compulsive behavior. Our nervous system is designed in such a way that if we allow ourselves not to avoid our fears through any actions, then their intensity will decrease. Victory over fear is in many ways similar to falling asleep. How much effort do you need to put into falling asleep? We need to create the conditions that will lead to falling asleep, getting into bed, and our body and brain will do the rest. In fact, any effort will only prevent you from falling asleep. In the same way, to cope with fears, we need to face them, and our body and brain will take care of the rest. In exposure, it is important not to use any additional methods of influence. For example, while the patient is manipulating a “contaminated” object, the psychologist may mistakenly ask her to “think about something else” or start a conversation with her about recent films. This type of distraction should be avoided. Why? Because paying close attention to fearful stimuli works better than distraction. If we are distracted during exposure, we may retain the belief that we would not be able to get through the experience if we were fully focused on it. Using distraction is like watching a horror movie through our fingers. The maximum benefit from facing your fears can only be obtained by relaxing your vigilance. In the process, it will become clear that we do not require any tricks or sophisticated methods to protect ourselves. Psychologists who encourage distraction send a double message by suggesting that, on the one hand, exposure is necessary, but on the other hand, the person is not in able to withstand intense fear. The psychologist's job is also to make sure that the person undergoing exposure therapy does not use covert forms of avoidance during exposure, for example, mentally distracting himself from the frightening situation. Psychologists must motivate the person to focus on the exposure exercise, allow the unpleasant sensation to persist, and imagine what they fear might happen as a result of the exercise. Exposure is the most effective way to cope with fear and anxiety in OCD and is more about inaction and being in a situation that at first looks threatening, but if you don’t run away and get distracted, the intensity of fear and anxiety, after reaching a peak, subsides on its own. You can find out more or sign up for a consultation through a personal message on the website or by phone +7 917 0186 234 (WhatsApp or Telegram)