Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to relieve or prevent anxiety. They may also have a goal of preventing or avoiding some dreaded event. My research led me to other weapons I would need for the battle with OCD, such as cognitive- behavior therapy and medication. Prozac makes my obsessions milder helps me resist the compulsions. It did not completely remove the symptoms, but Prozac makes it easier for me to wield the next weapon I needed, cognitive behavioral therapy.
Cognitive therapy involves attempts at changing distorted thinking and beliefs.
Behavior therapy teaches the skills needed to gain better control over one's behavior. It involves exposure to the things we fear most, then prevention of the usual response. I started with small steps. I checked everything carefully and left the house for a few minutes, graduating to quickly checking and leaving the house for an entire day. At first, the anxiety when I walked away from the house was almost unbearable, but it gradually lessened.