Healing Isn’t Linear & What That Really Means | Breaking Free from OCD, Anxiety & Stress

Healing Isn’t Linear: What It Really Means for Mental Health Recovery
By Matt Codde, LCSW | Restored Minds

When it comes to healing from OCD, anxiety, or any emotional and mental health challenge, one of the biggest misconceptions is that the recovery process is linear. Many people expect that healing should look like recovering from a physical injury—steady, predictable progress, like a cut that scabs, fades, and eventually disappears. But when it comes to mental health, according to Matt Codde, licensed clinical social worker and founder of Restored Minds, the journey is much more complex.

Why Healing Isn’t Linear

Unlike physical healing, mental and emotional recovery happens in waves, cycles, and layers. Matt explains that emotional pain, anxiety, guilt, anger, and shame are often stored in our system when we don’t know how to process them. Over the years, these unprocessed emotions build up. It’s not until an inciting event—a panic attack, intrusive thought, or external trigger—occurs that we suddenly feel a rush of intense emotion. We might believe that event caused the emotions, but in reality, it only released what was already accumulating beneath the surface.

Letting Go vs. Climbing the Mountain

A common analogy suggests healing is like climbing a mountain: each step is progress toward the peak, and the summit is complete recovery. Matt Codde challenges this idea. He explains that real recovery isn’t about climbing upward. It’s about letting go of the “mountain” you’ve been carrying—years or decades of stored emotion. The process unfolds in layers. As each new wave of emotion surfaces, it provides an opportunity to acknowledge, process, and finally release it.

Trying to force recovery in a step-by-step, linear fashion can cause more frustration and actually slow down your progress. Instead, adopting a mindset of allowing—rather than forcing—lets the natural process of healing unfold. As Codde says, “Healing is much more of an allowing process… You allow it.”

Embracing the Ups and Downs

The key takeaway is to expect ups and downs in your recovery journey. It’s normal to have periods of calm, followed by new waves of emotions or thoughts. This is not a setback or a sign that you’re failing; it’s a necessary part of releasing what’s been stored in your system. The shifting paradigm is powerful: Instead of seeing each wave as an obstacle, see it as a critical stage in your healing.

Practical Takeaways:

• Release the need for constant progress: Healing doesn’t happen step-by-step. Be gentle with yourself during challenging times.

• Shift your mindset: Think of recovery as letting go of what no longer serves you, not as climbing higher.

• Allow, don’t force: Trust your body and mind’s wisdom to bring up only what you’re ready to process at the right time.

• Celebrate progress—even if it isn’t linear: Every new wave of emotion released is progress, even when it doesn’t feel that way.

Start Your Personalized Recovery Journey

If you’re looking for guidance tailored to your journey, Matt Codde and Restored Minds offer a free custom guide. Take the quick 4-question assessment to receive actionable steps specific to your needs. Get your free recovery guide here.

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