Resisting Compulsions: How to Break Free from the OCD Cycle

Living with OCD can feel like being stuck in a loop of fear and relief. Intrusive thoughts show up—often suddenly and without warning—and bring with them intense anxiety, doubt, or discomfort. To cope, it’s common to engage in behaviors called compulsions—actions or mental rituals meant to reduce that distress or prevent something bad from happening. While these behaviors might feel helpful in the moment, they usually make things harder over time.

A compulsion is anything you do to relieve the anxiety triggered by an obsessive thought. This could be checking if the door is locked, asking someone if everything is okay, mentally replaying conversations, or avoiding situations that feel risky or uncertain. Some compulsions are obvious, while others happen quietly in your mind. But what they all have in common is that they offer short-term relief—and keep the cycle going long-term.

Resisting compulsions is a key part of breaking that cycle. When you’re able to pause and not respond to the urge, even for a moment, you’re giving yourself a chance to respond in a new way. This can feel incredibly difficult, especially when the anxiety is high. But each time you resist a compulsion, you teach your brain that the fear doesn’t need to be fixed—that discomfort can be tolerated, and that you’re not in danger just because the thought feels threatening.

So what does resisting look like in practice? It often starts with noticing the thought and naming it as OCD. That simple act of labeling can help create space between you and the urge. From there, it’s about pausing, breathing, and allowing the discomfort to rise and fall without doing anything to push it away. It doesn’t mean the anxiety disappears right away—but it does start to lose its power. Refocusing on something meaningful to you—something that aligns with your values—can also help shift your attention away from what OCD wants.

It’s normal for this process to be messy and hard. Resisting a compulsion doesn’t always feel like a win in the moment. But over time, these small shifts can build real change. The approach behind this work is called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and it’s considered the most effective treatment for OCD. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about learning to sit with uncertainty, and slowly building trust in yourself.

If you’re navigating OCD, know that you’re not alone. Many people struggle with the same patterns, and it’s okay to need support. Therapy can be a space to learn tools, build tolerance for discomfort, and reconnect with the parts of your life that OCD has pulled you away from.

OCD recovery doesn’t happen all at once. It happens in small, intentional moments—like choosing not to check, delaying the ritual, or sitting with the urge instead of reacting to it. Those moments matter more than they might seem.