What is the purpose of ERP with response prevention in OCD CBT?

• A. To reduce exposure to triggers
• B. To reduce compulsions by preventing ritualized responses
• C. To eliminate all anxiety immediately
• D. To rely on medication alone

Answer: (B)

ERP with response prevention focuses on breaking the cycle that keeps OCD going: obsessions create distress, and the urge to perform a ritual provides temporary relief that reinforces the behavior. In ERP, you expose the person to the trigger and deliberately withhold the ritual response. By staying with the distress without engaging in the compulsion, anxiety rises and then gradually habituates, so the urge to ritualize weakens over time. This directly reduces compulsions because the person learns that their anxiety can decline without the ritual, and the feared outcome often doesn't occur or is less severe than expected.

It’s not about cutting back exposure to triggers—it's about facing triggers and not performing the compulsive response. It doesn’t promise instant relief or eradication of anxiety, but builds tolerance through repeated exposure. And it represents a behavioral therapy approach, not medication alone.