Emily Criscuolo, APRN, (left) and Ashley Williams, LCSW, part of the treatment team at Bridgeport Hospital’s REACH intensive outpatient program.
For a man in his mid-30s from northern Fairfield County, daily life once revolved around fear.
He was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), with themes around health, safety and contamination.
“I would constantly think something terrible was about to happen, like my boiler exploding and hurting my family,” said the man, who shared his story anonymously. “The only way I could get relief was by checking it over and over again.”
What began as intrusive thoughts quickly evolved into something much more consuming, and his compulsions eventually took over his daily routine. He became severely depressed and began having frightening thoughts about not wanting to be alive.
Turning point: seeking a higher level of care
Although he had been working with a therapist, talk therapy alone was no longer enough. His therapist recommended the Bridgeport Hospital REACH Program, an intensive outpatient program offering a dedicated track for OCD.
“A higher level of care is often needed when symptoms continue to worsen despite outpatient treatment, or when daily functioning starts to decline,” said REACH social worker Ashley Williams, LCSW. “Programs like REACH provide a structured environment with more frequent, targeted interventions.”
At REACH, the patient began Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, which teaches patients that while they may not be able to stop intrusive thoughts, they can change how they respond.
Treatments start with building a “fear hierarchy,” a list of situations that trigger anxiety, ranked from least to most distressing. Exposures to these situations are repeated and gradually intensified, but patients are asked to resist compulsions, such as washing or seeking reassurance.
“There was one big rule: no reassurance,” the Fairfield County patient said. “I couldn’t ask if things were going to be okay. I had to accept the uncertainty.”
Over time, “what once felt impossible became manageable,” he said. “Eventually, eating without washing my hands became easy.”
The REACH program’s multidisciplinary approach also includes medication management.
“When I first met (the patient), his anxiety around illness was so intense that he struggled to take medication because he feared serious side effects,” said Emily Criscuolo, APRN. “By the end of treatment, he was able to tolerate medication, recognize intrusive thoughts in real time and resist seeking reassurance.”
The patient now has the tools to manage his OCD and no longer feels controlled by it.
“Joining REACH is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” he said. “This program gave me my life back. I can find joy again. I’m singing and dancing around the house like I used to. I’m a better husband, a better dad.”
