"The Leap of Faith": What Healing from OCD Really Takes
One of the most painful and paradoxical truths about OCD is that healing often means doing the very thing your mind insists you should never do. This can feel confusing and counterintuitive. When you are struggling, what you most want is certainty that everything will be okay by just finding the right answer, the right feeling, or the right reassurance. OCD promises that if you can figure it out, relief will come. But the harder you chase certainty, the further away it seems to drift. This isn’t because you’re failing. It is actually because that is how OCD works.
The very nature of OCD means that doubt is part of the process, even when you are doing everything “right.” In fact, one of the clearest signs that you are healing is when you begin to act while doubt is still present, rather than waiting for it to go away.
This is where the idea of a “leap of faith” comes in. It’s not a leap into blind trust or a religious act, but a subtle psychological and emotional shift. It is the moment when you gently say to yourself, “I may never feel 100% sure, and I am going to move forward anyway.” That moment can feel deeply uncomfortable, even terrifying. And yet, it is often the very beginning of freedom.
Why It Feels So Hard
This process feels hard because OCD does not play fair. It does not whisper small worries and let you move on. It shouts them, repeats them, and demands that you find answers immediately.
If you live with OCD, you may have spent years listening to its demands by analyzing, checking, and trying to feel certain before making any decision. So when a therapist says something like, “You don’t need to know for sure,” it can feel not only unsettling but even unsafe. However, this is one of the central truths of recovery. Learning to tolerate uncertainty is the goal and that takes a deliberate, guided, and supported leap toward the life you want to live.
This leap is not reckless. It is not about ignoring your feelings or pushing yourself before you are ready. It is a conscious decision to trust that living in alignment with your values matters more than finding perfect certainty. It is choosing to move toward what gives your life meaning, even when doubt is still present.
What the Leap Looks Like
Sometimes this leap looks like saying to yourself, “Maybe I offended them… maybe I didn’t. I’m going to resist texting them for reassurance.” Other times, it sounds like, “I may never feel completely certain that I love my partner the ‘right’ way, but I am going to show up with love anyway.”
There are also quieter moments of courage. You might notice a thought and allow it to exist without analyzing it. You might sit with the discomfort in your body without trying to make it disappear. These small moments of willingness to allow what is, without rushing to fix it is the true heart of healing.
Treatments like ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) give this process structure and support. They provide a map, a steady hand, and a way to practice the leap safely and gradually. But ultimately, you are the one who must take the step.
If you are in the middle of that leap right now, please know that I see you. I understand how hard this work can feel. You are not alone, and I am cheering you on as you learn to live with uncertainty and rediscover freedom.
A Final Thought
If OCD has convinced you that your doubt is a sign of danger or failure, remember this: your doubt is not proof that you are doing it wrong. It is proof that you are doing something brave.
Every time you choose to act in the presence of uncertainty, you are reclaiming your life. You are choosing to live according to your values rather than your fears. That choice, repeated over and over, is what healing really looks like.
With care,
Sheva Rajaee, LMFT
Founder, The Center for Anxiety and OCD