I left the house without checking the stove again

Dear Delyara, My obsessive-compulsive disorder made leaving home a two-hour ritual. I checked the stove, locks, outlets, and faucets until my hands hurt and my family stopped waiting for me. Therapy introduced exposure and response prevention. At first, I hated it. My therapist asked me to check the stove once, photograph nothing, and leave while uncertainty remained. The first attempt ended with me turning back from the driveway. We repeated the exercise for months. Today, I checked the stove one time and walked out. My mind shouted that the house would burn, that my dog would die, that responsibility meant checking again. I drove to work anyway. At lunch, I did not call a neighbor or review security-camera footage. When I returned, the house was standing. More importantly, I had spent eight hours living somewhere other than inside a ritual. Recovery has not made me certain the stove is off. It is teaching me that certainty is not the entrance fee for having a life.