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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
There is strength in numbers. Join us for our first OCD treatment group on Saturday, 8/10/13.OCD Treatment Group! I am pleased to announce the availability of our new exposure and response prevention (ERP)-based treatment group. The intent of this group is to provide...
Mental checking can involve mentally analyzing whether or not a behavior was completed properly.Behavioral Checking (Overt Checking) Many examples of compulsive checking rituals in OCD involve direct inspection of a target stimulus by sight, sound, or feel. Common OCD...
Checking-related OCD takes innumerable forms, and includes checks for safety, understanding, and mistakes.Compulsive checking often begins innocently enough. One check here, two checks there... But OCD's greed knows no bounds. What starts out as a simple check "just...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
OCD symptoms, such as acting on an unwanted impulse, can best be addressed through exposure and response prevention (ERP). Useful exposures will involve embracing your own vulnerability by intentionally entering uncomfortable situations that trigger your OCD...
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) for OCD involves willingly habituating to your triggers. When spontaneous triggers occur, don't ritualize; be strategic.Question: I know about ERP, and I understand that OCD symptoms can be reduced by resisting rituals and then...
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...
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...
The obsessions experienced by individuals with "Pure-O" OCD are commonly accompanied by mental compulsions.As a follow-up to my previous post on Pure-O OCD, I thought it might be helpful to identify some obsessions that are commonly reported by individuals with Pure...
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...
