OCD Therapy
You may be experiencing:
Obsessions
Repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images
Examples:
Fear of germs and contamination
Needing objects to be lined up or organized in a very specific way
Unwanted forbidden thoughts regarding sex and/or religion
Worries about harm towards yourself and other people
Fear of losing or misplacing something
2. Compulsions
Behaviors that you feel like you need to repeat over and over again to reduce your uncomfortability and to stop the obsessive thoughts
Examples:
Excessive cleaning and/or hand-washing
Continuously checking in on things (e.g., checking if the door is locked, stove is turned off, etc.)
Placing things in a precise manner and keeping them in order
Compulsive counting
What is OCD?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, commonly referred to as OCD, is a mental health disorder that is characterized by unreasonable thoughts and worries that lead to compulsive behaviors. If you have OCD, it is common to experience excessive thoughts, also known as obsessions, that result in repetitive behaviors, also known as compulsions. These thought patterns and compulsions negatively impact your life, interfering with daily activities, and cause a great deal of distress.
Out of desperation to stop your thoughts and fears, you may try to ignore or stop your obsessions; however, this ultimately enhances your distress and creates more anxiety. In fact, you feel driven to perform the compulsive acts because it may alleviate some of the stress you are feeling.
It can feel frustrating- despite your best efforts to ignore or erase your annoying thoughts or urges, they keep coming back. This leads to ritualistic behavior which explains the vicious cycle of OCD.
OCD Themes
OCD typically has certain themes. In other words, this “theme” drives most of your unreasonable thoughts and worries.
Some common examples of OCD themes encompass:
Contamination obsessions- This can be an excessive fear of getting contaminated by germs. Because of this, you may engage in potentially harmful behavior, such as washing your hands compulsively until they are red and chapped.
Moral/religious obsessions- Moral and/or religious obsessions can make you feel like you are a “bad” person. You may be overly-concerned that you may act or have already acted in a sinful manner. Due to this theme, you may experience excessive guilt or worry about whether or not you are accurately following religious or moral teachings.
Relationship OCD- This commonly happens for a person in a loving and committed relationship who begins to have doubts if they should be with their partner or not. If you resonate with this, you may find that you continuously check in with your partner and yourself regarding the strength and value of your relationship.
Order and/or symmetry obsessions- This is a common type of OCD theme in which everything has an order and place. When things are out of place, you may find that your anxiety spikes. You may even think that, if things are not in order, something bad will happen to you or someone you love.
Obsessions related to perfectionism- Traditionally, perfectionists do well in school and work. You may be great at making plans and staying organized but, if you struggle with OCD perfectionism, this is not a success in your life. Instead, it feels debilitating. It can trigger severe all-or-nothing thoughts, and it can be exhausting.
Health OCD- You may feel something off one day in your body so you go to the Internet for answers. You use the research you find off of the Internet to make a self-diagnosis. The next thing you know, you go on a spiral online, start constantly checking in on your body, and start seeing several medical professionals. You may feel like you have a serious disease and, even after receiving confirmation from a doctor that everything is fine, you feel like it is not enough. Your OCD makes you believe that there has to be something wrong.
If you have OCD, you may feel embarrassed or distraught, but you should take comfort in the fact that there are several effective treatments for OCD.
What are common OCD symptoms?
OCD often includes both obsessions and compulsions; however, it is possible to have obsessions without compulsions, and vice versa. You may not recognize how your obsessions and compulsions are excessive or unreasonable, but they may be time-consuming and interfere with your daily life, including school, work, your social life, and so on.
Obsession Symptoms
OCD obsessions are repeated, persistent and unwanted thoughts, urges, or images that are interrupting and cause great distress and anxiety. In an effort to get rid of them, you may engage in compulsive behavior or ritual which is only harmful in the long-run. The obsessions can become especially prominent when you are trying to think of or do different things.
Like OCD, obsessions have themes to them, which include:
Fear of contamination
Needing things orderly and symmetric
Doubting aspects of your life
Having a difficult time accepting uncertainty
Aggressive thoughts about losing control
Unwanted thoughts (e.g., involving religious, sexual topics)
Examples of OCD obsessions:
Doubts that you locked the door to your home
Intense stress when objects are not presented in an organized manner
Unpleasant sexual images
Thoughts about acting inappropriately in public
Fear of getting contaminated after touching objects that other people have touched
Avoidance of situations and places that can trigger certain obsessions
Compulsion Symptoms
OCD compulsions are continual behaviors that you feel compelled to perform. These constant behaviors or mental acts are intended to reduce your anxiety that is related to your obsessions and general fear of something bad happening. However, when you engage in these compulsions, you do not find any pleasure or you may find temporary, fleeting relief from your anxiety.
You create rules or rituals to follow so that you can manage your anxiety when you are not experiencing obsessive thoughts. The compulsions you experience are excessive and, typically, are not realistically connected to the problem they are supposed to resolve.
Compulsions have themes as well, such as:
Demanding reassurance
Orderliness
Checking
Counting
Following a strict schedule
Washing and cleaning
Examples of compulsion signs and symptoms include:
Counting in certain patterns
Checking in on the stove a set number of times to make sure that it is off
Checking the door repeatedly to ensure that it is locked
Arranging things in your pantry so they all face the same way
Hand-washing your skin until it becomes chapped and red
Silently repeating a word, prayer, or phrase
OCD Tics:
Additionally, people who struggle with OCD may suffer from OCD tics, which are brief, repeated movements or actions.
Some common examples of OCD tics include:
Grunting
Jerking your head
Shrugging your shoulders
Blinking your eyes
Sniffling your nose
Clearing your throat
What causes OCD?
The cause of OCD is unknown. With that being said, there are certain factors or events that may increase a person’s chances of developing OCD or experiencing an OCD episode.
Certain factors and/or events that may trigger OCD include:
History of abuse
Emotional or physical trauma
Life Transitions (e.g., getting married/divorced, starting a new job or school, moving etc.)
Death of a loved one
Illness (If you get sick, you may have repeated thoughts about germs which can cause a cycle of obsessing about your health and contamination)
Low levels of serotonin (serotonin is a natural chemical in the brain that is responsible for satisfaction, happiness, and optimism)
Problems at work or school
Problems with an important relationship in your life (e.g, family, romantic relationship)
Overactivity in certain areas of your brain
Family history of OCD
How do I know if I have OCD?
If you have OCD, your obsessions and compulsions have become so severe that they negatively impact your daily life. An OCD therapist will ask you questions about your symptoms before making an OCD diagnosis.
Terms like “obsessing” and “OCD” can be thrown around casually, but OCD is based on specific factors, which include:
Having obsessions, compulsions, or both
Your obsessions and compulsions take up a considerable amount of time in your daily life
Your obsessions and compulsions cause significant distress or impact how you perform at work, school, and/or other social events
Your symptoms are not caused by substance abuse issues or another medical issue
What are the effective treatments for OCD offered at Anchor Therapy?
If you have OCD symptoms that negatively interfere with your daily life, it is strongly suggested that you seek the help of an OCD therapist. At Anchor Therapy, we have several therapists to help with OCD who are highly trained in the area and can offer several effective strategies.
Our OCD counselors are taught to approach each client in an individualistic manner, altering their therapeutic approach to best fit your needs.
Some effective forms of OCD therapy include:
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): With ERP therapy, you actually perform the very thing that causes your anxiety. This may sound scary at first, but ERP for OCD is a fantastic way at tackling your OCD symptoms so they no longer have power over you! Your ERP therapist will help you learn how to prevent a response that includes an OCD compulsion. For instance, you may be asked to touch a doorknob that other people have touched without washing or sanitizing your hands after. Your therapist would then coach you through how to cope with the uncomfortable feelings that come next.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is a type of psychotherapy. CBT for OCD works by talking to your OCD therapist who can assist you in identifying and understanding your thoughts and emotions. Throughout the course of several therapy sessions, CBT will teach you how to stop obsessive thoughts in their tracks, perhaps by replacing them with healthier coping mechanisms.
CBT for OCD Explained:
CBT for OCD is based on the premise that distorted thoughts cause and allow harmful obsessions and compulsions to persist. Many people report having intrusive, often bizarre thoughts on a daily basis; however, if you struggle with OCD, you may inflate the meaning and danger of these thoughts. You may even think that, since you are having that thought, it increases the likelihood that the thought will come to fruition and will magically become true.
If you have OCD, it is easy to overestimate the degree to which you are responsible for a horrible event taking place. You may feel compelled to take actions to prevent it from occurring. For example, you may feel compelled to open and close the plane window’s blind a fixed number of times to prevent the plane from crashing. Realistically, this has no bearing on the plane potentially crashing, but it is the type of illogical thought that can occur if you have OCD.
CBT for OCD In Action:
CBT shows you how to examine your harmful thought patterns and come up with plausible alternatives that are more realistic and not so dire. You may not even be aware of how extreme your distortions are. This is something your OCD therapist can help point out.
CBT also includes behavioral therapy, so your therapist may have you engage in ERP therapy for OCD.
ERP for OCD Explained:
A very popular OCD treatment is ERP therapy. Exposure therapy for OCD involves exposing yourself, under the guidance of your OCD counselor, to the anxiety that is triggered by your obsessions. Then, you will prevent the use of your rituals to reduce your anxiety. This cycle of exposure and response is repeated until your obsessions and/or compulsions no longer trouble you. You will be in the safety of having your therapist help you every step of the way.
Some things to consider before starting OCD therapy…
Deciding to get treatment for your OCD is a big step in the right direction. You are brave for seeking out help, and our OCD therapists will be there each step of the way to help guide and support you.
No matter what type of therapy you are interested in pursuing, it is helpful to actively engage with your OCD therapist, and be open and truthful. When you are honest about your symptoms, feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, your OCD counselor will have a full picture painted, knowing what is required to help you move forward and progress in your treatment.
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Our intake coordinator will get back to you with more information on how we can help and to schedule an appointment. We will set you up with an experienced licensed therapist who specializes in OCD and who understands your needs.
You’ll rest easy tonight knowing you made the first step to improve your life.
