Before I started going to weekly therapy appointments, even though I was a psychology major, I had some inaccurate ideas about what therapy was like. I didn't think "going to therapy" was a thing that lasted a long time. I had in mind a brief solution focused therapy idea of therapy where it was all focused on the solutions to the problem and minimizing the amount of time spent in therapy (less than a year in my mind). In other words, I thought I'd be almost completely "recovered" from OCD in around a year, possibly less if I worked hard enough on getting better.
I read online at the outset of my mental health journey back to wellness that it can take around a year of weekly therapy (and possibly medications) to treat an uncomplicated case of OCD (according to beyondocd.org). I read somewhere else that it can take up to 2 years to treat a moderate case of OCD. After I read these things, I thought I might be recovered by the end of a two year mark.
Reality check: I've been attending weekly therapy sessions for OVER 2 years now. I'm not "recovered". I'm still a work in progress. (I suppose humans are always a work in progress, though, right?) My weekly therapy sessions aren't winding to a close. I honestly have no idea how long I'll be in therapy.
I used to stress about how long I had been in therapy. Once I got to the 1-year mark I freaked out a little. Then when the 2-year mark blew right past me, I felt even more freaked out. (WHY IS THIS TAKING SO LONG?! I WANT TO BE BETTER NOW!) I mean, I had the tools to work through my OCD. I was using the tools to work through my OCD. Was my OCD worse than I originally thought? What was going on? Was I just milking my therapy sessions and stalling getting better?
Everyone's brain is different. Sure, somebody else might be done with therapy for their OCD in the above mentioned time frame, but that doesn't mean I have to be. That also doesn't mean that I need to give up on therapy and stop going just because it's taking me a longer amount of time. That means I keep going to my weekly sessions and giving my brain the time it needs.
I've heard people say that they used to go to therapy, but they stopped because they'd been going for a while and they just got tired of going. That's like taking your antibiotics and then stopping after the first couple of days because you feel fine. They get sick all over again, possibly even sicker than the first time around. If you only go to therapy long enough to dig through your mind and bring up old issues, you could spiral if you stop going before you deal with those old issues.
Your brain is a complex organ, and only going to a few months of therapy won't be enough to march through the rewiring process. Medications even take 2 to 3 months to bring about changes that you might notice. Give yourself time, and don't give up because you think it's taking too long.
I'll end with this: Your mental health condition didn't spring up overnight. It took time, just like it'll take time to work through it to a place you can consider "recovering". Don't get discouraged or feel embarrassed if treatment takes longer than you anticipated. Hang in there. Give your brain the time it needs to process and change. Cultivating a new, healthier, happier life takes time, and that's okay.
