Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, involves having obsessive thinking patterns that can include repetitive, unwanted thoughts, images or urges that make a person feel anxious or distressed. Individuals who have OCD often have significant difficulty pushing away or ignoring these thoughts. They try to kick the distressing thoughts out their head, but no matter how hard they try, they don’t have any success stopping them. Those with OCD also have compulsive behaviors (called rituals) which are an attempt to reverse, counteract or stop the obsessive thoughts or urges and decrease anxiety by performing some sort of repetitive action.
Common obsessive thoughts in OCD include:
- Fear of being contaminated by germs or dirt or contaminating others
- Fear of losing control and harming yourself or others
- Fear of being apprehended or arrested for some prior misdeed
- Intrusive sexually explicit or violent thoughts and images
- Sexual obsessions involving homosexuality or pedophilia
- Excessive focus on religious or moral ideas
- Fear of losing or not having things you might need
- Order and symmetry: the idea that everything must line up “just right”
- Superstitions: excessive attention to something considered lucky or unlucky
Common compulsive behaviors in OCD include:
- Excessive double-checking of things, such as locks, appliances, and switches
- Repeatedly checking in on loved ones to make sure they’re safe
- Counting, tapping, repeating certain words, or doing other senseless things to reduce anxiety
- Spending a lot of time washing or cleaning
- Ordering or arranging things “just so”
- Praying excessively or engaging in rituals triggered by religious fear
- Accumulating “junk” such as old newspapers or empty food containers
If one or more of the above symptoms resonates with you, I encourage you to look into possibly seeking OCD therapy today. Research shows that the most effective treatments for OCD are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERT), and medication.
As a licensed psychologist, I have extensive training in helping clients overcome and grow from their OCD. And together, we’ll create a strategy that works explicitly for you. Contact me today for a free consultation.