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Is It Possible For OCD To Go Away?

January 23, 2026

If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder, will you be affected by your symptoms for the rest of your life? Does OCD ever go away?

Contact Time Wellness Centers today to begin mental health treatment in Arkansas.

What Is OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complex, widely misunderstood mental health disorder. As indicated by its name, it is associated with two types of symptoms, obsessions and compulsions.

Many people continue to mistakenly believe that OCD is little more than a quirky desire for orderliness or organization. While some people with this disorder do struggle with a hyper-focus on concerns like these, the symptoms of OCD extend far beyond simply wanting certain items to be put in certain places.

As described in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), OCD symptoms can take up considerable amounts of a person’s time and cause “significant distress or impairment” in various parts of their life.

What Are Obsessions?

Obsessions are recurrent, unwanted thoughts that can be sources of anxiety and other types of psychological pain. Examples include:

  • Fear of becoming contaminated or infected
  • Worry that you may accidentally blurt out something profane, blasphemous, or otherwise inappropriate
  • Intrusive sexual thoughts on highly distressing topics, such as incest, pedophilia, or sexual violence
  • Fear that you may harm other people, such as by suddenly veering your car into a crowd of pedestrians

What Are Compulsions?

Compulsions are actions or behaviors that a person feels forced to do, often multiple times. Examples include:

  • Washing hands or showering excessively
  • Silently or softly repeating certain words or numbers
  • Continually seeking reassurance from others that you are not a bad person
  • Turning a light switch on and off several times before being able to leave a room

Compulsions are sometimes directly related to obsessions, such as excessive showering due to fear of contamination, but this is not always the case.

Does OCD Ever Go Away?

Once a person begins to experience symptoms of OCD, it’s unlikely that they will ever completely go away. 

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a chronic condition. As with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes and arthritis, OCD symptoms can persist throughout a person’s life. 

However, this doesn’t mean there’s no hope for people who have this disorder. 

Just like with diabetes and arthritis, both professional treatment and certain lifestyle changes can make OCD symptoms much more manageable. With effective interventions and a concerted effort, people with OCD can experience relief from their symptoms and achieve improved quality of life. 

How Does OCD Treatment Help?

If OCD doesn’t ever go away, what’s the use of getting treatment?

If you read the previous section, you probably already know the answer to this question. But if you jumped directly here, or you’ve just been skimming through this post, don’t worry. There’s no penalty for reading however you choose, and we’re always happy to highlight the potential benefits of receiving quality mental health treatment.

OCD treatment can help in many ways, such as by providing people with medication to ease their symptoms, offering therapeutic guidance to help them better control their thoughts and actions, and addressing co-occurring mental or behavioral health concerns. 

Medication for OCD

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are first-line prescription meds for people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder.

SSRIs are commonly used as antidepressants, but four drugs in this category have also been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat symptoms of OCD: 

  • Fluoxetine (Prozac)
  • Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
  • Paroxetine (Paxil)
  • Sertraline (Zoloft)

According to the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), SSRIs seem to help about 40%-60% of OCD patients who take them, with those who benefit experiencing a 40%-50% reduction in symptoms. 

Some doctors prescribe SSRIs in conjunction with other medications, such as clomipramine (Anafranil), which is a tricyclic antidepressant, or various antipsychotics.

Therapy for OCD

Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, can help people with OCD learn to exert greater control over their thoughts and behaviors, better manage their symptoms, and deal with anxiety or other co-occurring concerns.

Examples of the evidence-based approaches that may be incorporated into OCD treatment plans are:

Exposure and response prevention therapy is generally viewed as the gold standard for people with OCD. According to a January 2019 article in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, “a large body of literature” supports the effectiveness of ERP, with one meta-analysis reporting that two-thirds of patients who took part in ERP sessions achieved improvements in symptoms.

What’s the Best Treatment for OCD?

There’s no single OCD treatment technique or approach that works for everyone. Services that make a significant difference to one person may offer little to no benefit to someone else.

This is one of the primary reasons why it is so important to find a treatment provider who will take the time to get to know you as a unique individual, understand how you have been affected by OCD, and develop a customized plan just for you.

Find OCD Treatment in Atlanta

Time Wellness of Georgia offers specialized services in a safe and nurturing environment for adults and adolescents who have been living with OCD, other mental health challenges, and substance use disorders (addictions).

Treatment options at our center in Atlanta, GA, include a partial hospitalization program (PHP), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), an evening IOP for adolescents, and virtual care.

To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Contact page or call us today.