You finally start improving with OCD.
You feel calmer. More present. More like yourself.
You’re doing the right things — and you can tell it’s working.
And then out of nowhere… OCD throws a tantrum.
New doubts. New stories. A sudden spike of anxiety.
And you’re left thinking:
“Why is this happening now, when I was getting better?”
This is something I see all the time with clients, and it has a name:
The Good Day Trap
The Good Day Trap is what happens when you start doing better… and OCD tries to hook you back in using a new angle.
It often sounds like:
- “What if this doesn’t last?”
- “What if it comes back?”
- “What if I’m not really better?”
- “What if I get triggered and ruin everything?”
And that fear usually leads to one sneaky behaviour that keeps OCD alive:
Monitoring
Monitoring is when you start checking your internal state to feel safe again.
It can look like:
- “Is the anxiety still there?”
- “Do I still feel that sensation in my body?”
- “Is the intrusive thought still in the background?”
- “Am I progressing properly?”
- “Is this real progress or am I fooling myself?”
It sounds reasonable. Even responsible.
But here’s the problem:
Monitoring turns relief into a trigger
When you scan for symptoms, your brain becomes hyper-alert to anything “wrong”.
So the tiniest flicker of anxiety suddenly feels like danger.
And once it feels like danger, OCD does what it always does:
it pushes you back toward rumination, reassurance seeking, checking, or avoidance.
That’s why people often spiral right after a good patch.
Not because they’ve failed — but because OCD has shifted into a new disguise.
Why OCD Does This When You Improve
OCD is a habit. A pattern.
For a long time, your brain has used rumination and certainty-seeking as a coping strategy.
Even though it makes you anxious, it gives you the feeling that you’re doing something about it.
So when you stop feeding that pattern — when you stop analysing, solving, and checking — it can feel deeply uncomfortable at first.
You’re learning a new way of being in the world.
And because the old habit is strong, OCD tries to pull you back in with the “safe” behaviour you’ve always done:
checking how you feel.
The Skill That Makes Recovery Stick
The real skill in long-term OCD recovery is simple:
Same response on good days and bad days
Most people get knocked off track in one of two ways:
Bad day trap:
“This is a setback. I’m back to square one.”
So they start fixing, analysing, and ruminating.
Good day trap:
“What if this disappears? What if it comes back?”
So they start monitoring and scanning.
Both are compulsions — just with different emotional flavours.
The goal isn’t perfect days.
It’s a consistent response.
The Three Steps (A Simple OCD Recovery Tool)
A tool I teach clients is what I call The Three Steps:
- Acknowledge the thought, feeling, or sensation
- Tolerate the discomfort without trying to fix it
- Redirect your attention back to the present moment and your values
That’s how you stop OCD from turning your recovery into a constant “progress check”.
Because the truth is:
✅ symptoms may still show up sometimes
✅ anxiety may still come and go
✅ intrusive thoughts may still pop in
And none of that means you’re failing.
It means you’re human — and you’re practising a new response.
Quick FAQ
Is it normal for OCD symptoms to come back during recovery?
Yes. OCD recovery is rarely a straight line. Fluctuations often mean you’re building new habits, not going backwards.
Is monitoring anxiety a compulsion?
It can be. If you’re scanning your internal state to feel safe, it often becomes a form of checking — and checking fuels OCD.
What should I do when OCD spikes again?
Respond the same way you would on a good day: acknowledge it, allow it, and redirect your attention back to your life.
Want Help Breaking Free From OCD?
If you’re stuck in this pattern — improving, then spiralling again because OCD finds a new way to hook you — I can help.
My 12-week Break Free programme includes:
- 1:1 coaching
- structured video lessons
- worksheets and practical tools
- guided meditations
- optional weekly group sessions
- support inside the Circle community
If you want to apply, head to robertjamescoaching.com and book a discovery call.
