In ERP for OCD, what does 'response prevention' entail?

• A. Encouraging ritual performance to reduce anxiety.
• B. Withholding compulsive responses during exposure.
• C. Removing exposure to feared stimuli.
• D. Medication management.

Answer: (B)

Response prevention in ERP means withholding the compulsive behaviors when you’re exposed to the feared trigger. During exposure, you stay with the anxiety and don’t perform the ritual, so the distress increases at first but then gradually decreases as you habituate. This breaks the pattern where rituals alleviate anxiety and thus reinforce OCD, helping you learn that the feared outcome is tolerable without rituals. It’s not about encouraging rituals, removing exposure, or focusing on medication management—the technique specifically targets not performing the compulsive response during exposure.