Treatment for body-focused OCD is paradoxical and involves intentionally leaning into your symptoms rather than away from them.This post is the last in a series of posts discussing body-focused obsessions and compulsions (aka, sensorimotor, somatosensory, or somatic...
The most effective treatment for OCD, exposure and response prevention (ERP), is built on a combination of cognitive and behavioral strategies.Question: To what extent would a change of mindset (e.g., changing my expectations for myself) be helpful in recovering from...
You are not your OCD. One important part of OCD treatment involves recognizing that your symptoms do not define you.Question: Because many of my OCD rituals are related to my professional identity, I'm worried that changing my rituals will somehow change those parts...
Sometimes the most potent way to deal with a fear is learning to be okay with not knowing.Everyone I know has, at some point, had to deal with the monster under the bed. Some do it with grace. Others falter. I've always been clumsy. I can vividly recall many terrified...
Mindfulness and ACT-based approaches are becoming increasingly popular in treating depression, anxiety, and OCD and distinguish pain from suffering.Mindfulness & ACT-based Approaches to Therapy Mindfulness & Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based...
Believe it or not, channeling your inner daredevil can actually help you fight social anxiety.When I was a kid, one form of mischief that was briefly popular in my neighborhood was crank calling strangers. Usually, the bravest kid in the group would pick up the phone,...
"OCD, I'd like you to meet my friend, D-cycloserine. D-cycloserine, this is OCD. I think you two should get to know each other a little better. You just might have a future together..."As someone who has long been enamored with basic science, I find it fascinating...
Therapy essentials: your "science hat" and bullwhip (no batteries required).I consider myself a scientist. I wear this hat officially when conducting research, but I also wear it every time I sit with a patient. In my research, my science is pretty self-evident: I...
Mental health requires that you work on meeting your own personal needs, in addition to meeting any other responsibilities you might have.I'm about to tell you something that your mother might not approve of...so for those of you sensitive souls out there, you might...
Pure-O OCD (Pure Obsessional OCD) is associated with hidden mental compulsions that interfere with treatment effectiveness."Pure-O" OCD, or Pure Obsessional OCD, is a relatively less common form of OCD that seemingly differs from classic presentations of the illness....
Obsessions and compulsions in OCD are related via a positive feedback loop.Question: How does ERP work? What mechanism underlies it? Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are disturbing thoughts, images, or...
Phobias respond to an evidence-based technique called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).Question: Basically, I wanted to know from an expert, what can a phobia do to a person? How does it affect them mentally? Also I see that you've got a new treatment philosophy --...
Is ERP for OCD fundamentally a destructive or constructive process? Neither. It's more gestalt than dichotomy.Here's a question for you: Is ERP fundamentally a destructive or constructive process? I think that many people naturally conceptualize it as more of the...
OCD is often characterized by subtle, hidden rituals. Avoid OCD's subtle rituals to supercharge your ERP.As any good psychologist experienced in treating OCD can tell you, the most effective treatment for OCD is exposure and ritual prevention (ERP). You may also see...
OCD is associated with guilt, shame, disgust, anxiety and depression.OCD isn't just about anxiety. Although anxiety is certainly a prominent feature of the disorder, clinicians who only attend to anxious symptoms can easily overlook some of its other core features. As...
Doubt is a core component of OCD and must be addressed explicitly in treatment.Many individuals with OCD hunger for certainty. It's a craving that often can't be easily sated. Early conceptions of OCD from the 19th century acknowledged this issue directly, in that OCD...
Trichotillomania affects as much as 4% of the population.Okay, so in addition to the possible Palm Beach OCD support group, I am also thinking about forming a trichotillomania (trich) support group. For those of you who aren't familiar with trichotillomania, it's an...
Florida OCD support groups for adults, kids, and adolescents are available in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and other South Florida cities.Several support groups for individuals with OCD are conveniently located near Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Boca Raton. Some...
Although some OCD symptoms are more common, other symptoms can be quite idiosyncratic and often go undetected by inexperienced psychologists.Turn on your television, and you're likely to catch at least a fleeting glimpse of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Many...
Possible Palm Beach OCD support group forming.So I'm thinking about starting an OCD support group in North Palm Beach. There are many details that would have to be ironed out (location, time, etc.), but I think it's troubling that Palm Beachers have such little access...
