Let's talk about the elephant in the room (or the bedroom... or the laundry basket...). OCD loves taboo topics, and as such, it can easily infiltrate topics related to semen, sperm, vaginal secretions, and other various sexual fluids...Alright, let's dive into the...
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...
Take power back by leaning into your fears and putting your bad thoughts on display.What: OCD Scriptathon 2017, A Group Scripting Experience Where: Our office! Located at 11380 Prosperity Farms Road, Ste 209A, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410 When: Tuesday, April 11,...
Overcoming OCD involves giving up the need to know for sure.These are difficult times. Lately, it seems, each week brings with it something truly horrifying. A shooting or an act of terrorism, a hate crime committed against an individual, a disease that affects the...
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,...
Hit-and-run OCD can be distinguished from other driving-related fears on the basis of a person's core fear and his/her response to it.What is hit-and-run OCD? Hit-and-run OCD (sometimes called MVA-OCD) is a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder that involves...
"Who could ever hurt a face this adorable? If you listen to OCD, you’ll start to think it’s 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.“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...
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...
Don't mistake rituals for exposure and response prevention (ERP). Embrace your exposures with fear, and embrace opportunities for openness, defenselessness, and vulnerability.Starting today, I am going to start posting random ERP tips as they occur to me, as there are...
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 IOCDF’s website, you’ll...
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...
Hit-and-run OCD involves the fear of causing accidental injury or death while driving."Hit and run" OCD involves the fear of accidentally hitting a pedestrian while driving. In most cases of hit-and-run obsessive-compulsive disorder, fears focus on unintentionally...
Scrupulosity is a form of religious OCD that often involves having blasphemous or unacceptable thoughts about God.What is Scrupulosity? Scrupulosity is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) characterized by religious and/or moral obsessions. Scrupulosity can...
Treatment of scrupulosity (religious/moral OCD) is based on exposure and response prevention (ERP), but pre-treatment goals often focus on belief clarification.Question: I have scrupulosity (religious/moral obsessive-compulsive disorder), and I am triggered by...
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is like an exercise program for your brain.Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is just like a fitness program for your brain. However, instead of shaking up your fitness level, it's...
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...
If you insist on being symptom-free, “normal” body- and thought-noise become potential threats. This is because they are perceived as unwanted and dangerous.In my post about the treatment of sensorimotor OCD, a reader asked about the ultimate goal of treatment. Should...
A penguin obsessed with flying is an unhappy penguin. Resist efforts to suppress unwanted thoughts.OCD & Thought Control Can I learn to eliminate my OCD thoughts? I hear this question all the time from new patients who are searching for ways to suppress their...
The fear of coughing or choking on your own saliva can be effectively treated through exposure and response prevention (ERP). However, treatment will fail if it does not target your specific feared outcomes.Question: I have sensorimotor OCD, and I’m suffering from...
Although contamination-related OCD and washing rituals often go hand-in-hand, many rituals in this domain do not actually involve cleaning or disinfecting. Reassurance seeking is a subtle ritual that involves asking questions or seeking out information regarding the...
In health- or contamination-focused OCD, compulsions typically incorporate washing, cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing behaviors.In my last post about OCD, I discussed reasons why people do rituals. This time, I'll identify specific rituals that are common in...
Why do people with health-related OCD wash, clean, and sterilize? The obvious answer is that these rituals remove or destroy potential pathogens. However, the more accurate answer is that these behaviors allow one to escape from unwanted feelings of danger,...
Surface knowledge about OCD rituals and obsessions is of limited utility. Treatment success depends also on understanding subtle differences in feared outcomes.In my last post, I identified several types of obsessions that are associated with...
