Understanding Reassurance Seeking in OCD

When most people think of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), they picture ritualistic handwashing, checking locks repeatedly, or organizing items symmetrically. However, one of the most overlooked and deceptive compulsions in OCD is reassurance seeking.

Reassurance seeking may seem harmless—it often involves asking questions, looking for validation, or even researching online—but in reality, it fuels the OCD cycle, keeping individuals trapped in anxiety and intrusive thoughts.

What Is Reassurance Seeking?

Reassurance seeking occurs when a person with OCD looks for certainty, validation, or comfort to alleviate their anxiety. This can take many forms, such as:

✅ Asking loved ones, “Are you sure I didn’t offend that person?”
✅ Googling symptoms of diseases after intrusive health-related fears
✅ Confessing thoughts to a therapist for reassurance that they’re “normal”
✅ Seeking validation from spiritual leaders about moral or religious concerns
✅ Replaying past events mentally to confirm they didn’t do something wrong

While reassurance might momentarily relieve anxiety, it ultimately strengthens the obsessive-compulsive cycle. The brain learns that relief only comes from reassurance rather than tolerating uncertainty.

Why Is Reassurance Seeking Harmful?

🔹 It reinforces the obsession. Each time you seek reassurance, your brain learns that the intrusive thought is important, requiring an urgent response.
🔹 It prevents tolerance of uncertainty. The need for certainty grows, leading to increased anxiety over time.
🔹 It strains relationships. Constantly asking for reassurance from loved ones can create frustration and tension.
🔹 It delays real treatment. Instead of addressing the root of OCD, reassurance seeking keeps individuals stuck in a loop of short-term relief and long-term distress.

How Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Can Help

The most effective treatment for OCD, including reassurance seeking compulsions, is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). In ERP therapy, individuals are exposed to anxiety-provoking situations while resisting the urge to engage in compulsions—including reassurance seeking.

For example, instead of asking, “Are you sure I didn’t say something wrong?” a person undergoing ERP therapy would sit with the discomfort of uncertainty and learn that anxiety naturally decreases over time without reassurance.

Finding Support for OCD

If you or a loved one struggle with reassurance seeking or other OCD symptoms, know that you don’t have to face it alone. At Sanctuary Counseling, we specialize in OCD treatment using ERP therapy to help clients regain control and live freer, more fulfilling lives.