
You don't need to perform a compulsion or ritual to relieve the distress. And in fact, every time you ritualize, you're reinforcing the distress and intensifying the OCD cycle.
OCD has deceived you into thinking that compulsions are helping you manage the distress. In reality, every time you check, ruminate, seek reassurance--you are making it harder on your body and brain. The relief you think you're experiencing is an illusion that only leads to being more enmeshed and more trapped.
The good news is that you can set your mind and body free from the OCD trap! The more you disengage from compulsions, the more you empower your brain and body to do what they know how to do!
Exposure and Response Prevention (ExRP) therapy shows you how to trust your brain and body to do the work for you, without getting bogged down in cycles of compulsions!