If you live with obsessive-compulsive disorder, you already know how counterintuitive it can feel to manage your day-to-day life. Avoiding the situations that trigger your compulsions seems like it should help, but really, it does the opposite.

The less you’re exposed to your triggers, the more sensitive you become to them, and the more you feel pulled toward performing your compulsions to ease the anxiety.

If you live with OCD, you know how much the condition can shrink your world. To avoid triggering obsessions or compulsions, you start skipping certain places, situations, and even your ordinary routines. Over time, the life you’re living gets smaller and smaller.