Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a condition in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over. Obsessions are thoughts, images or impulses that occur over and over again and feel outside of the person’s control. Individuals with OCD do not want to have these thoughts and find them disturbing. In most cases, people with OCD realize that these thoughts don’t make any sense. Obsessions are typically accompanied by intense and uncomfortable feelings such as fear, disgust, doubt, or a feeling that things have to be done in a way that is “just right.” Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or thoughts that a person uses with the intention of neutralizing, counteracting, or eliminating their obsessions. People with OCD realize this is only a temporary solution but without a better way to cope they rely on the compulsion as a temporary escape. Approximately 1% of the US population is diagnosed with OCD each year.
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Obsession Symptoms
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Fear of germs or contamination
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Unwanted, forbidden, or taboo thoughts involving sex, religion, or harm
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Aggressive thoughts towards others or self
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Having things symmetrical or in a perfect order
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Concern with getting a physical illness or disease (not by contamination, e.g. cancer)
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Intrusive, excessive, and uncontrollable doubts about self or one's actions (thoughts that you left the stove on)
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Superstitious ideas about lucky/unlucky numbers or certain colors
Compulsion Symptoms
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Excessive cleaning and/or handwashing
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Ordering and arranging things in a particular, precise way
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Repeatedly checking on things, such as repeatedly checking to see if the door is locked or that the oven is off
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Mental review of events to prevent harm (to oneself others, to prevent terrible consequences)
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Praying to prevent harm (to oneself others, to prevent terrible consequences)
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Counting while performing a task to end on a “good,” “right,” or “safe” number
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“Cancelling” or “Undoing” (example: replacing a “bad” word with a “good” word to cancel it out)
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Repeating activities in “multiples” (examples: doing a task three times because three is a “good,” “right,” “safe” number)
Treatment
OCD is treated with psychotherapy, medications, or a combination of the two. Dr. Harte uses a variety of evidence-based psychotherapy treatments, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is an empirically supported treatment that focuses on modifying problematic thoughts and behaviors that contribute to and/or maintain OCD.
Research shows that certain types of psychotherapy, including CBT can be as effective as medication for many individuals. Research also shows that a type of CBT called Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP) is the most effective in reducing compulsive behaviors in OCD, even in people who did not respond well to medications.
EX/RP entails the client being exposed to their fears (e.g., germ contamination) while refraining from their compulsive avoidance behaviors. By doing this, a client starts to realize that feared stimuli are not in fact dangerous and their anxiety reduces.
Learn More
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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Brochure - a free educational brochure from the National Institutes of Mental Health that offers basic information on signs and symptoms, as well as treatment options.
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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Statistics among Adults - This webpage from the National Institutes of Mental Health provides information on trends in prevalence of and use of treatments/services among adults with OCD.
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Getting over OCD: A 10-Step Workbook for Taking Back Your Life. Abramowitz, JS
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The OCD Workbook: Your Guide to Breaking Free from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (2nd ed.). Hyman, BM & Pedrick, C
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Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts: A CBT-Based Guide to Getting Over Frightening, Obsessive, or Disturbing Thoughts. Winston SM, Seif, MN
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The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Hershfield, J, Corboy, T.
