The mainstay of OCD treatment is cognitive-behavioral therapy in the form of ERP, as well as medication management (most commonly with serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SRIs). The initial treatment option is determined by the severity of the sickness. If the symptoms are mild to moderate, then counseling and behavioral techniques are used; if the symptoms are severe, then an SRI is prescribed by a physician. ERP consists of four components: exposure and response prevention, cognitive therapy, psychotherapy, and pharmacological treatment. Exposure and response prevention involves systematically exposing oneself to potentially contaminating thoughts or behaviors and then using coping strategies to prevent themselves from acting on those thoughts or engaging in those behaviors. This process is repeated until the anxiety associated with OCD decreases enough for the person to function normally. Cognitive therapy focuses on changing harmful beliefs about oneself and one's world that may be responsible for some of the anxiety associated with OCD. Once these negative thoughts come into your mind, you should challenge them by thinking of something that you do consistently that is not perfect. For example, if you believe that you must always be perfect in your work, then you should think of a time when you did not perform a task perfectly and then think of another time when you did not perform a task at all.