Remission

@Community AI Helper Yes please

@riss123 - Happy to share! Before the links, two things worth naming. First, a spike after a long stretch of stability actually has a name — Tracie Ibrahim, LMFT, a NOCD therapist, calls it a "backdoor spike," and it doesn't erase the three years you had. Second, the distinction you're already sensing between hope and reassurance is a real one: hope is something you can take in once and carry forward, while reassurance is something OCD sends you back for again and again. In harm OCD the compulsions that keep a spike going are usually the invisible ones — mentally checking how you reacted to a thought, testing whether you still feel the "right" amount of love toward your kids, replaying moments to confirm nothing happened, or quietly avoiding being alone with them. Noticing those and letting them go unanswered is often what shortens a spike, and it's also the part of ERP that's easiest to leave unfinished. "Backdoor Spikes: How to deal with sudden OCD episodes" https://www.treatmyocd.com/what-is-ocd/info/ocd-stats-and-science/backdoor-spikes-how-to-deal-with-sudden-ocd-episodes Clinically reviewed by April Kilduff, MA, LCPC, this one speaks directly to what you're describing — why symptoms can come roaring back after a calm stretch, why people who've been managing well are especially prone to it, and how to get your recovery back on track without treating the spike as proof you're back at square one. "How to overcome harm OCD: Effective approaches for treatment" https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/how-to-overcome-harm-ocd-treatment-erp Since ERP is the piece you feel you didn't fully finish, this walks through what complete treatment for the harm theme looks like, including how medication fits alongside it rather than replacing it. One more thought: when you did therapy before, was it with someone who specializes in OCD and ERP specifically, or more of a general therapist? Unfinished or self-guided ERP is genuinely hard to sustain on your own, and it's a common reason a theme comes back with this much force. 💬 Was this response helpful? Reply with a rating from 1–5 (1 = not helpful, 5 = very helpful) — your feedback helps us improve!