Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
What is OCD?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It is characterized by intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses (obsessions) that can cause intense anxiety and distress. Obsessions can be followed by repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) that are performed to reduce anxiety or prevent a feared outcome. However, these compulsions often only provide temporary relief and can become, themselves, extremely distressing.
OCD can cause significant impairment in one’s daily life and can affect an individual’s ability to form and maintain relationships, complete work, or engage in social activities. The obsessions and compulsions associated with OCD can consume hours of a person’s day and significantly impact their quality of life.
Obsessions
There are different types of obsessions and compulsions that can be experienced with OCD. Some common examples of obsessions include:
Contamination: Excessive worry about germs, dirt, or other sources of pollution that may cause harm.
Harm: Fear of causing harm to others, either through intentional actions or through carelessness.
Perfectionism: Intense concern about order, symmetry, or exactness in one’s life.
Unwanted Sexual Thoughts: Intrusive, disturbing sexual thoughts or images that are inconsistent with the individual’s beliefs or values.
Compulsions
Compulsions can take many forms, including physical behaviors such as washing, cleaning, checking, counting, or aligning objects, and mental acts such as repeating words or phrases, praying, or mentally reviewing information. Individuals struggling with OCD can often begin to avoid feared objects and situations leading to a significant narrowing in their life experiences and overall fulfillment.
Treatment of OCD - Exposure & Response Prevention
The gold standard of treatment for OCD is Exposure and Response Prevention or ERP. ERP involves the client facing their fears in a hierarchical fashion without doing the usual compulsion to reduce anxiety. ERP is an extremely effective treatment for OCD as with repeated exposures clients become less distressed no longer need to perform compulsions. CBT Denver therapists are experts in doing exposures with clients in session and designing out of session exposures so that clients can overcome their fears and get back to living a meaningful and productive life. Types of exposure includ:
In-vivo exposure: Therapists will guide clients through exposure to what they fear during sessions. Exposure may take place in the office or outside of the office. Client will then do exposures on their own for homework.
Imaginal exposure: Cognitive and mental exposure to feared scenarios. Therapists will guide clients through this in session and then clients will do structured homework assignments.
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