Honest answers please, but did paying for a therapist really change your life for the better? Im stuck between paying for one or just saving my money and dealing with it by myself.

Yes, it gave me a life again. OCD was so debilitating that nothing was enjoyable; I couldn’t sleep, eat or have normal relationships with anyone. It gave me myself back, so it was 1000% worth it.

Absolutely worth it. Saved my life.

100%. I know therapy can be super expensive but it was so worth it for me. I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t get help from a therapist.

It is 1000% worth it. While I still have hard moments, compared to before therapy it’s been so much better. This app offers really good prices for therapy too, plus you can do payment plans! If you decide to do therapy but off the app, you must make sure the therapist you choose knows how to do ERP, that is crucial! Good luck :)

It really, REALLY changes your life, please consider it, but it may take some time until you find the right therapist, just keep searching and I assure you the change will blow your mind

My sister’s OCD was really bad. Literally, just two sessions with a psychologist were a big help to her.

I’m the opposite (as well as others I know) did not help, and in some cases made things worse (not in a worse before it’d better way, or do to not staying with it for long enough, not trying multiple therapist etc.) I also know ppl (as well as studies showing) minimal to mid level improvemen for a (relatively short) time over the course of their lives. Some have found it worth it for the reprieve, some have not. [im talking 20+ years -lifetimes of dealing with this so ‘short’ is relative] it’s also worth it to note how clinically significant and severe your ocd is and how long you’ve been dealing with it as well as if you have other significant nueroatipcalities and disorders and how they intersect with your ocd. And clear realistic expectations on what you would like to happen.

The right therapist can. I've had a few before knowing I had OCD and they were pretty much useless. Now I see a trauma/OCD specialist and she really gets how they're intertwined for me and is helping me to separate everything out and process trauma stuff with EMDR so that the OCD thoughts feel less persuasive and compulsions feel less necessary. We haven't gotten into any of my OCD themes which aren't related to traumas yet but are starting to identify the core beliefs and fears that all my themes have in common. The reality is that she can't tell me or help me much more with OCD, than me reading and learning about how it works and what I need to do, can. She would simply be expensively and briefly guiding me through doing ERP which I already know how to do, and developing a personal philosophy and sense of self (ACT) so that I feel less inclined to do compulsions, which I've already largely done. I don't need to waste therapy sessions on that, I already know what I need to do, but with the work on core beliefs she's helping empower me to do it, at a steady pace which I can manage. Sometimes I really appreciate it, it's like having a tree to cling onto in a hurricane, but for me most of the value is in the techniques she uses, especially EMDR, and the fact that she's able to point out facts or my underlying beliefs which I prefer to keep out of my conscious awareness because they're painful to confront. My advice is to use your therapy sessions wisely if you choose to do it. Don't be afraid to explain to them where you're at, to say if something isn't working for you or they've misunderstood something or to give feedback when you see links between things. Vulnerability is scary but the more you let them know what your thought process is and what you think is happening in your brain and why, the better they can apply their skills to genuinely help. If you can't communicate with them or don't feel safe to then it's a waste of time. If the relationship is good, then it's a safe place to confront what's holding you back and hopefully discover that staying stuck isn't making you safer, it's stealing your life. Having somebody compassionate, knowledgeable and reliable around to help you to reduce all kinds of fears via confronting them is usually better than trying to go it alone. I made loads of progress by myself over a few years but personally now that I have a great therapist I'm totally sticking with her, I'm very optimistic that I'll be a more resilient person at the other end. Sometimes you just need to be guided through the murky process bit by bit.

It helps, it really does help. Find one who does OCD treatment, like ERP. It’s also ok if you need to try a few different therapists to find the one that works—often if it isn’t working that just means you found the wrong therapist. Another thing that helps is just bringing up concerns with the therapist and seeing if they can adjust their style to suit you better. Also, it’s not going to work right away, it takes time, work, and self care, but it’s worth the time and the money it costs. Going it alone can be extremely difficult and you’re more likely to have success with some help.