Feeling gaslight by OCD? Defeat OCD-related doubt through exposure and response prevention (ERP), not logic!One of OCD's most diabolical tricks is its ability to sow seeds of doubt, even about beliefs we hold strongly. Think of it as a tiny, annoying heckler in your...
Please help us complete this exposure for scrupulosity (religious OCD).So this post is a bit different than my regular posts... Rather than discussing a specific aspect about OCD or anxiety, this post is a request for your assistance in completing an exposure. Here's...
Compulsions associated with ROCD include analyzing, checking, and comparing.Although ROCD is often characterized by intrusive worries about your relationship, relationship OCD treatment often specifically targets the compulsions and avoidance behaviors related to ROCD...
OCD is predicated on the formation of faulty beliefs that are maintained through negative reinforcement.In previous posts, I have discussed various aspects of the "OCD Cycle," but it never hurts to have a quick refresher. After all, understanding how OCD works can...
Just like other types of OCD, rOCD can involve unwanted, intrusive impulses and images.This multi-part series of posts will focus primarily on rOCD, also known as "relationship OCD." Part 1 focused on obsessive thoughts that are common in rOCD. This part discusses...
Symptoms of relationship OCD (ROCD) include pervasive doubt and uncertainty about interpersonal relationships.In a previous post on mental checking, I talked briefly about ROCD (Relationship OCD), a form of OCD that involves pervasive doubt and uncertainty about...
Driving fears and avoidance in teens may reflect normal development or possibly an emerging anxiety disorder.Reader Question: My daughter just turned 15, and no matter what I say, I can't seem to convince her to practice her driving. It's strange, because in the past,...
OCD tends to target what we care about the most. In this case, our pets.Obsessions focusing on pets and animals incorporate all the common themes: contamination, checking, harm, scrupulosity, and sex. In this 3-part blog series, I'll discuss some of the common ways...
"Who could ever hurt a face this adorable? If you listen to OCD, youโll start to think itโs possible."Obsessions focusing on pets and animals incorporate all the common themes: contamination, checking, harm, scrupulosity, and sex. In this 3-part blog series, I discuss...
Obsessions focusing on pets and animals incorporate all the common themes: contamination, checking, harm, scrupulosity, and sex.In this 3-part blog series, I discuss some of the common ways obsessions may target our lovable, snuggable friends. This article, Part 1,...
Anger can be a mobilizing emotion, but too much anger directed at OCD can give it unnecessary power.โI hate having OCD! Why canโt these thoughts just stop?!?! How can I be the person I was before?!?!โ Many people with OCD are extremely familiar with the...
Long shower times because of contamination OCD? Use our ERP shower exposure room to shorten your shower times!Long shower times? Just a quick announcement... I'm pleased to announce that with our recent office renovations, we now have a spa-like therapeutic shower...
Use imaginal exposure to address OCD based around catastrophic feared outcomes.As I've talked about in numerous posts, overcoming OCD involves learning to co-exist with doubt and uncertainty. This idea can be a bit counter-intuitive at first, as many people initially...
It's #OCDWEEK! Help raise awareness and understanding about obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders.Welcome to #OCDWEEK 2016, a week organized by IOCDF to help raise awareness about OCD and related conditions! If you visit IOCDFโs website, youโll...
Thanks to all who came our for our first OCD treatment group.Group Therapy for OCD Wow. Our first OCD treatment group met yesterday, and IMHO, it was an incredible experience. Thank you to all who attended and showed such courage in standing up to their OCD. I was...
Social Anxiety Treatment Group for TeensSaturday (8/17) @ 11am-1pmTeens with social anxiety unite! In this paid treatment group, teens will support each other in developing cognitive behavioral skills to combat social anxiety. This workshop will be interactive and...
Scary, unwanted thoughts sometimes masquerade as truths. Although these thoughts may have the appearance of danger, their form is intended to deceive.It's nearly Halloween, and kids around the country are digging through dusty closets and plundering the aisles of...
Emetophobia is the fear of vomiting. Although vomit phobia may appear to be a simple phobia, it may actually be a symptom of OCD, social anxiety, or agoraphobia.Flu season will be quickly upon us and with it comes an unfortunate increase in the likelihood of...
Body dysmorphic disorder symptom areas vary between individuals but commonly focus on the skin, hair, weight, and specific facial features.Symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a somatoform disorder that closely resembles...
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is an OCD-like syndrome that involves hyper-attention to one or more perceived bodily defects, imperfections, or flaws.What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)? Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is not formally classified as an anxiety...
Answering "What If...?" questions is an anxiety-related avoidance behavior that involves overpreparation.Anxiety, Worry, & What If Questions If you have anxiety, it's likely that you wrestle with worry and "what if" questions. Many what if questions are easily...
Unlike Choose Your Own Adventure books, therapy is a forgiving process that gives you many potential paths to pursue on your road to recovery.For anyone new to exposure-based therapy, such as exposure and response prevention (ERP), there is often much anticipatory...
Although exposure is predicated upon the purposeful non-avoidance of anxiety-related stimuli, non-avoidance of anxiety triggers is not equivalent to exposure.Anxiety Principle of the Day: Non-Avoidance is not equivalent to exposure. Although exposure is predicated...
Exposure, when done right, is about much more than just habituation.Many people have an incomplete understanding of exposure therapy... ...be it exposure and response prevention (ERP) for OCD, intentional mistake practice for social anxiety, or interoceptive exposures...
Join us at an upcoming free, monthly OCD support group meeting. Our Kid/Teen OCD support group meets on a variable day of the month, and our Adult OCD support group meets on the second Tuesday of the month.Attention all residents of Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Juno,...
Some individuals with Pure-O OCD use "starting over", "resetting", or "undoing" compulsions to wipe the mental slate clean.Question: It's hard to describe this, but I feel like every few days I need to mentally "start over" by doing a variety of mental and behavioral...
Worried about feeling sick as a dog? You might be experiencing health anxiety, an umbrella term which is associated with several different underlying conditions.Think about the most significant health scare you have ever experienced. Then multiply this experience by a...
Agoraphobia might not be what you think it is. Contrary to popular opinion, agoraphobia is the fear of having physical symptom attacks in situations where escape might be difficult or embarrassing.Let's dispel a common misconception about agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is...
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...
