In addition to doing what you can to reduce the overall stress in your life (and no, this isn't necessarily easy, even if you do exercise, eat well, and try to get an adequate amount of sleep), continuing to work at controlling your symptoms will be a very good idea. So, how do you do that?

One way is to refuse to give in to the demands of your OCD. (Granted, this is also not as easy as it sounds.) If you can't refuse entirely, then refuse as much as you can. If you need help — whether from a family member, friend, therapist, support group, or doctor (or any combination of these) — get it.

Family members will almost certainly be delighted to help you fight against your symptoms. (Enlisting their help will also put you on the same “team,” psychologically speaking.) They have probably felt constrained by your OCD symptoms almost as much as you have.

Asking for Tough Love

Ask your parent, spouse, or whomever not to allow you to check the door lock more than once, for instance, or not to go back home to make sure the stove is really off. Soliciting and substituting their constant reassurance for your own checking is still engaging in OC behavior. If you have been enlisting family members or others close to you to assist in your OC routines, now is the time to stop. In that case, ask them not to help you, to remind you gently that you're facing up to your anxieties on your own now.

Coping Strategies

Use creative distraction. Check the stove, then go for a relaxing walk around your neighborhood. (You should be familiar with this technique from CBT. If you're already able to leave your home for thirty minutes after turning off the stove, now is the time to try sixty, or a whole day.)

Reward yourself for a job well done. If you can leave your front door after one lock check, go out and do something fun: a cup of coffee and an enjoyable book at your local emporium (actually, we hope you'll go for low-caffeine tea, instead!), a shopping trip, canoeing — whatever, as they say, floats your boat!

Don't Let the OCD Win

Do not neglect to keep in touch with your prescribing doctor, your therapist, or both. It's a good idea to get regular “checkups.” Finally, do not underestimate the value of a good support system. If you feel as if stress or your OC symptoms, or both, may be getting worse, talk with a trusted friend, visit your online support group, tell your mom — whatever works for you.