Anger and OCD – Getting Mad…

Posted by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D. in ACT, CBT, General, Harm-Related Symptoms, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), OCD “I hate having OCD! Why can’t these thoughts just stop?!?! How can I be the person I was before?!?!” Many people with OCD are extremely familiar with the anxiety-related aspects of the disorder. OCD is an anxiety disorder after all, so it’s not terribly surprising that anxiety is often core to its experience. But anxiety is certainly not the only emotion that shows up in OCD. I’ve discussed briefly how some people with OCD have symptoms of guilt, shame, disgust, and depression, and how treatment may sometimes need to be modified when these emotions are primary aspects of the disorder. Today, though, I’d like to comment briefly on anger and OCD, which I don’t think I’ve mentioned explicitly in previous posts. Anger can be a powerful force in many people’s OCD. What’s the relationship between anger and OCD? Actually, the relationship between OCD and anger is complex, in that it’s mediated by obsessions, compulsions, or even reactions to developing the disorder. Anger and OCD: Anger as a Trigger for Obsessions Anger is sometimes entwined with anxiety and contributes directly to some types of Pure-O OCD. For example, anger can be a trigger for some people who have harm OCD (e.g., What if getting mad means that I’m capable of harming my family members?). Individuals with violent OCD obsessions may fear becoming angry, because they may fear that it will lead to them “snapping” or losing control. Anger is also sometimes present for those who have OCD with suicide obsessions. For example, “If I feel that I hate my life or am angry with myself, that might mean that I’ll end my own life.” In this context, anger also signals danger and is linked to fear. OCD and Anger: Examples of Anger Triggering OCD Obsessions I felt really mad at my parents, and then I almost felt like I wanted to hurt them. Does that mean I’m a dangerous person? I was arguing with my mom, and I felt an urge to punch her in the face, and I think I actually wanted to. What does that mean? I felt really mad and frustrated at my children, and I wanted to lash out at them. Does that mean that I could actually physically hurt them? I yelled at my kids, and I KNOW I enjoyed it. How messed up is that? Does that mean I really want to hurt them?...
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Common Misconceptions About Anxiety & OCD Treatment

Posted by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D. in ACT, Anxiety, CBT, ERP, Mindfulness, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), OCD, OCD - General, OCD - Treatment, Treatments People new to OCD treatment often walk through the door with more than a few misconceptions. Here are some common ones: Misconception 1: Anxiety is bad. Actually, anxiety is a normal, functional, biologically-based phenomenon that every person is capable of experiencing. The only people who are truly anxiety-free are dead people. The rest of us (the living ones, at least) will find that anxiety will be a part of our lives, at least to some extent. Some anxiety is good and can be helpful. For example, it’s probably good to have some anxiety when you’re studying for a test. This anxiety can help motivate you to prepare sufficiently. Similarly, it’s probably good to have some anxiety about doing dangerous things, such as driving too fast — this anxiety might just save your life. Of course, not all anxiety is good or functional. Some anxiety spikes occur for no good reason and don’t have an upside. These false alarms make us feel bad for no good reason. Panic disorder is the perfect example of this. In panic disorder, your fight-or-flight system gets continually reactivated in situations where it isn’t warranted. Treatment of panic disorder involves learning to disregard the danger messages attached to your panic symptoms. The goal of OCD treatment (or the treatment of any anxiety disorder, for that matter) is not to eliminate anxiety, but rather to recalibrate your anxiety system so that there are fewer false alarms, and anxiety is again serving a useful purpose. When you finish OCD treatment, you’ll still have anxiety. It just won’t be standing in your way like it is now. Misconception 2: Avoidance is an effective solution for anxiety. There is no denying that avoidance is an effective solution for reducing anxiety. However, the anxiety-reducing effects of avoidance are short-lived and come at a great cost. Reliance on avoidance as a coping strategy may reduce your anxiety in the short-term, but it dramatically increases anxiety over the long-term. If avoidance is left unchecked, anxiety often grows to a point where it becomes debilitating and interferes with our functioning. Why does this happen? In essence, avoidance brainwashes us to believe that if we didn’t avoid, the worst would have happened. Let’s examine this in relation to a common contamination OCD thought: “Germs are everywhere. If I don’t touch the dirty doorknob, then I won’t get sick.” Avoidance of the doorknob prevents anxiety...
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Mindfulness & ACT-based therapy: Questioning “I hurt; therefore, I suffer.”

Posted by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D. in ACT, Mindfulness Mindfulness & ACT-based Approaches to Therapy Mindfulness & Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based approaches to treatment might (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 2003) ask you to consider the truth of the following statement: I hurt; therefore, I suffer. Most of us would probably agree that suffering is usually borne out of hurt. But this doesn’t mean that pain, discomfort, or unwanted emotions necessarily lead to suffering. In truth, many hurts do not lead to suffering. Pain and suffering are distinct entities that exist on two entirely different planes. Pain is based on an experience, whereas suffering is based on how we perceive that experience. In many cases, we may not be able to sidestep pain or hurt; however, suffering may be a different matter. Pain Think about the last time you felt physical pain. Maybe you’re feeling it right now. You might consider the aches of tired joints, the familiar sting of chronic pain, the drawn-out burn after a workout, or even the experience of stubbing your toe. Consider what your pain feels like. Where is it located? Is it a sharp or dull pain? Constant or throbbing? Growing in intensity or fading? Take a moment to really look at your pain. Examine it. Probe it. Accept it as it is. Own it. To do otherwise is to deny your own experience. Acceptance of pain does not mean that you have to like it. It doesn’t mean that you hope for the pain to continue or to increase in intensity. It simply means that you’re not denying the reality of your current moment. If you’re experiencing pain, you’re experiencing pain. Suffering What, then, is suffering? Suffering comes from an appraisal of pain, from an unwillingness to accept it. In many cases, suffering begins when we make certain types of statements or ask certain types of questions: Why is this happening to me? When will this end? I can’t take this. These types of statements lead to contradictions that cause suffering. Think about it.      Why is this happening to me?      I don’t know why this is happening to me…but it is.      When will this end?      I don’t know when this will end…but it’s happening to me right now.      I can’t take this.      I feel I can’t take this…but yet, here I am. These failures to accept your current experience cause suffering. Pain may be a necessary prerequisite for suffering, but it...
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