Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all answer. In other words, it will be different for every person. What I do know is that situations are always changing. Life is always changing. Nothing ever stays the same forever, and OCD is no different. People sometimes refer to it as a shapeshifter, often switching from theme to theme. While OCD is considered chronic, OCD symptoms also come and go, sometimes seemingly disappearing for months or years at a time. Many sufferers can even go long stretches of time without actually meeting diagnostic criteria for the illness in between bouts of intense struggles.