What happens if OCD is left untreated? (A guide to getting unstuck!)
The simple answer to what happens when OCD is left untreated is that OCD symptoms often get worse.
Often when people experience the onset of OCD it interferes with a small area of their life, but when left untreated, OCD tends to spread across other areas of life. Taking away time from their hobbies, family, friends, and pleasurable moments.
Leaving OCD untreated can cause devastation and tremendous pain in one’s life with obsessions and compulsions stealing every moment of our attention and limiting our experiences.
It is understandable to feel hesitation about starting treatment (after all, if you’ve read anything about OCD treatment you’ll understand that it takes hard work!).
But the truth is, clients who come receive treatment with us never regret starting. OCD is a highly treatable condition, and if you suspect that you may have this condition, we encourage you to seek support because the consequences of leaving it untreated can be mortifying.
Our hope with this article is not to overwhelm you but to hopefully inspire you to seek help and get the support you need.
We firmly believe (and have seen in our clients many times over!) that recovery is possible for you.
As we continue, we will explore what you may experience if OCD is left untreated and why sufferers may not seek the treatment they deserve.
And encourage you to take the courageous step toward reaching out for support.
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Does OCD get worse if left untreated? Let’s find out…
We always encourage you to receive the correct treatment from a qualified mental health professional and OCD specialist if you believe you may be suffering from OCD.
While there are those who have milder symptoms that feel manageable and do not greatly interfere with day-to-day life, this is often temporary.
When we engage in compulsive behaviors to alleviate our fear and uncertainty, we feed OCD and allow it to thrive.
In order to break this cycle, the goal of OCD treatment is to disengage from these compulsive behaviors and practice compassionately tolerating uncertainty and anxiety. This is how we break the cycle of OCD!
We understand that this is quite challenging for an individual to undertake alone!
Especially if they have not yet been taught the necessary knowledge, tools, and support.
A lot of OCD treatment involves education about the disorder so you can understand how OCD tricks you into engaging in compulsions and keeping the OCD cycle going.
And so, if we continue to leave OCD untreated, we often continue to feel trapped, hopeless, and overwhelmed. The longer we are stuck in the cycle of obsessions and compulsions, the more OCD strengthens its grip, and our symptoms become more severe over time.
The honest truth about leaving OCD untreated
Initially, OCD symptoms may disrupt life in the form of a lack of focus, agitation, memory fog, an inability to be present, forgetfulness, and increased frustration.
As you may know, managing these symptoms alone is exhausting.
Hours can be spent doing mental and physical activities that leave you feeling “out of control” and hopeless. This particular condition can feel so isolating and debilitating, as it has the ability to take away experiences, friendships, enjoyment, and peace of mind.
All areas of life can suffer at the hands of OCD.
For example, have you ever been unable to…
Complete simple everyday tasks without checking them over 20 times first?
Join your friends at a restaurant to celebrate a birthday for fear of needing to use the public restroom?
Fully embrace a new relationship because of the unshakable fear that they may not be the right person for you?
Drive to work for fear that you might run your car off the bridge?
Visit your childhood friends for fear that you may behave inappropriately toward their young daughter?
OCD is an immensely isolating condition, and as symptoms get worse you may find that you:
- Avoid going to work entirely
- Cancel all social plans last minute
- Avoid seeing people you love because it triggers your obsessions
- Feel permanently exhausted from the mental and physical fight with OCD
- Stop doing hobbies or other things that hold value to engage in compulsions instead
- Avoid going to places that may trigger your obsessions
The issue with leaving OCD untreated is that it will only grow to infiltrate all areas of life that matter the most to you, and greatly limit your experiences of life.
At its most severe, OCD sufferers can struggle with related disorders such as depression, panic disorder, skin-picking disorder (excoriation), hair-pulling disorder (trichotillomania), and in some cases suicidal ideation (which is not the same as suicidal OCD).
Hopelessness can become a common emotion experienced by this with this disorder, so it is unsurprising that depression can thrive alongside it.
If you currently feel this way, please believe us when we say that there is hope for you.
OCD is a highly treatable disorder, and our team would be honored to support you in your next steps toward recovery when you’re ready.
OCD recovery without help Vs. OCD recovery with help!
According to Harvard Health, only 1 in 5 sufferers improve their OCD symptoms without treatment or support.
There are ways to help yourself, and we encourage you to implement certain practices and habits to help yourself in the best way you can.
However, your best chance of a full OCD recovery is working with a trained OCD specialist who can offer a correct diagnosis and tailored treatment plan that yields incredible results.
Because those who receive the correct treatment have up to 70% chance of being in remission!
Why do some people not seek treatment for OCD?
For those who do not have OCD, it may seem strange that a person may experience such symptoms and not seek treatment.
But there are many understandable reasons as to why this may be the case.
Let’s take a look at some of the core reasons below.
- Feeling ashamed or embarrassed
For many, OCD is accompanied by a great deal of shame, and shame is not a helpful emotion when it comes to seeking help.
When we feel ashamed of those obsessions, the last thing we want to do is openly share them with others. This is particularly true for those who have obsessions that are taboo in nature or conjure immense feelings of guilt. For example, someone with real-event OCD experiences deep shame toward their past behavior.
They are consumed with obsessions that torment them and make them doubt whether or not their actions were acceptable. Because they are unsure, they engage in compulsions such as excessive rumination and reassurance-seeking to find certainty that they’re not a bad person for how they’ve behaved.
Shame can easily stop someone from wanting to admit their concerns about their past behavior for fear that their beliefs may be proven correct.
No matter how debilitating OCD symptoms may be, shame is a powerful emotion that will stop sufferers from reaching out for help.
- Fear of being judged
Those with OCD may feel concerned that if they approach a professional for support, they will be misunderstood and judged for their obsessions.
Fear of being judged is prevalent throughout all OCD subtypes, particularly in subtypes that are taboo in nature such as Harm OCD or Pedophilia OCD.
With these subtypes, there is an additional layer of fear due to the nature of their obsessions.
Someone with Harm OCD may not want to risk being mistaken for wanting to harm themselves or others.
Someone with Pedophilia OCD may not want to risk being mistaken for wanting to commit inappropriate acts with children.
Someone with scrupulousity OCD may not want to risk being judged by their religious community for their obsessions.
This is why it’s so important that you receive treatment from a qualified OCD specialist because those who are trained in this particular mental health condition understand the difference between fear and a desire to act.
- Misinterpreted symptoms
Many can live for years or even decades without treatment. Sometimes this is due to an ability to interpret experiences as symptoms.
And this is understandable.
You don’t know what you don’t know.
Instead, some may categorize their symptoms as a personality quirk or hard evidence that they are ‘going crazy’ or are a ‘bad person’.
Sometimes, the perception that this condition is ‘just who we are’ contributes to the view that OCD is permanent.
- Not knowing where to find help
If you resonate with the symptoms of OCD and often have the thoughts, ‘But who do I turn to?’ then you are not alone.
If you’re new to the world of OCD, here are some places where you can find support:
- Our Team for private therapy if you are based in California.
- Support groups near you.
- Online communities such as:
- Recovery Avoidance
The IOCDF explains that recovery avoidance can happen for many reasons. Firstly, recovery avoidance often looks like this:
- Minimizing symptoms
- Not seeking out treatment
- Not educating oneself
- Counterproductive ways of coping
One of the main reasons for this is fear.
Fear that treatment may not work for them, fear that they are not capable of engaging in treatment, and fear of change.
All of the above reasons are completely understandable.
Let’s also acknowledge the fact that access to care is an ongoing social issue and one of the reasons we do these articles is to help people can gain the knowledge that will help them reduce those counteractive coping mechanisms that tend to make symptoms worse.
What causes OCD to get worse?
While it is difficult to predict what may cause OCD to get worse, there are a few common factors we can consider:
- Stressful life events
- Traumatic events
- Substance abuse
- Compulsions!
The last point is the most important to consider here!
If there is one thing that guarantees that our OCD will increase in discomfort and severity, it’s engaging in compulsive behaviors.
When working with your OCD specialist, the focus is on disengaging with those compulsions. Resisting the urge to respond to your obsessions with these unhelpful safety behaviors.
And so this really is the ‘secret sauce’ in how you can stop your OCD from getting worse (and instead see a substantial decrease in symptoms!)
When you seek to understand why you are experiencing these symptoms, this becomes a compulsion in and of itself. Ultimately, we do not need to understand the root cause. We simply need to break the OCD cycle by interrupting those compulsive behaviors.
Can untreated OCD lead to schizophrenia?
It remains unclear as to whether OCD can lead to schizophrenia or vice versa.
There is limited research that has suggested that receiving an OCD diagnosis increases the chances of receiving a schizophrenia diagnosis. However, it remains uncertain as to whether one disorder causes the other.
| NOTE: This can be one of those moments where we recognize that ruminating on a question such as this may simply be another presentation of OCD. As we know, OCD loves to latch on to any fear that we may have and use it to keep you trapped within the OCD cycle. If you have concerns we highly recommend you get support to clarify whether or not you may have a comorbid condition. But it is also worth being aware that this could also be OCD playing its games! |
If you are concerned as to whether or not you are experiencing comorbid conditions such as schizophrenia or psychosis alongside OCD, please speak to a medical professional to receive a formal and thorough diagnosis.
Best treatment for OCD
If you suspect you may be battling with OCD, we would love to support you on your journey toward a life guided by your values, not your fears.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) combined have been proven to show an incredibly high success rate in recovery treatment.
And this works no matter what the content of those obsessions may be.
Exposure response prevention (ERP) therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are considered the gold standard treatment for all OCD subtypes.
Our clients follow a bespoke treatment plan using these modalities alongside ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), self-compassion, and mindfulness. This treatment has proven to show incredible results.
In ERP, you are asked to create a hierarchy of exposures together with your therapist.
You are asked to place yourself in situations that trigger those obsessions so you can change your relationship and response to them (giving them less validity and, therefore less control) whilst also resisting the urge to do compulsions.
This is so your brain can learn that you are capable of managing uncertainty and anxiety without the use of those safety rituals that overrun your life.
When you continually engage in those compulsive behaviors, you only strengthen OCD’s hold and maintain the OCD cycle. We want to help you break the cycle once and for all.
If you’re reading this article, you may be on a journey of self-exploration, looking for ways to navigate OCD. We hope this has been helpful to you!
But if you feel like you’d like to take this one step further, there are two ways we can support you:
Qualified 1:1 therapists
If you are based in California, our team of highly qualified mental health professionals and OCD specialists would love to guide you through your recovery. We welcome you with warmth and compassion, and without judgment.
While we understand that you may feel hesitant to reach out, we only want you to know that the best time to begin is today.
Nothing will be as hard as what you’ve already experienced, facing every day with this disorder. You’ve done the hard part!
Recovery is not easy, but it feels more achievable when you have a professional in your corner, and you begin to see and feel how life could be different.
Please submit an initial intake form here, we’d love to hear from you.
Online program
If you are unable to access private therapy right now, we have an affordable and accessible alternative.
ERP SCHOOL was created by top OCD specialist Kimberley Quinlan to show you exactly how to manage those intrusive thoughts so they no longer ruin your life, and resist the urge to do compulsions.
You will be given the exact tools and techniques used to support private clients.
And you will understand how to apply them to your specific OCD themes.
You no longer have to feel trapped inside your mind and a slave to your intrusive thoughts. You can regain your freedom, and live life how YOU choose.
