OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
Manage your symptoms and therefore improve your quality of life.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder characterized by recurring unwanted thoughts, obsessions, or compulsions that cause significant distress and may interfere with one’s ability to function in daily life.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder characterized by recurring unwanted thoughts, obsessions, or compulsions that cause significant distress and may interfere with one’s ability to function in daily life. Obsessions are intrusive thoughts, images, or urges and compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts that individuals feel driven to perform in response to their obsessions. People with OCD often experience intense anxiety and feel as though their life has become unmanageable. Often people feel embarrassed by their symptoms and may try to hide them. As OCD becomes more severe, avoidance of triggers may become an increasing problem. OCD is often compounded by depression and other anxiety disorders, including social anxiety, panic disorder and separation anxiety.
I will incorporate a personalized set of techniques to help you. One approach is to identify and challenge cognitive distortions that contribute to obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviors. This is referred to as Cognitive Behavior Therapy. (CBT)
We will work on gradually exposing you to situations that may trigger your obsessions or compulsions to learn how to decrease or resist these unhelpful thoughts or behaviors. This is referred to as Exposure and Response Prevention. (ERP)
A different approach that can help is to accept your unwanted thoughts and feelings rather than try to control them. This often results in giving less power to OCD and can help with symptom management.
We will explore if there are other areas of your life where you feel powerless and recognize how this may be contributing to the maladaptive behavior of trying to control your life through ritualistic mental and physical acts.
People diagnosed with OCD, often report experiencing agonizing doubt and feel like they are “going crazy.” Some people feel incredible guilt or shame for their “bad” thoughts and do not understand that these thoughts are not a reflection of their character, but rather are part of OCD. In therapy, we will work to help you understand that you are not your OCD, and with time can learn to manage OCD and therefore restore a sense of calm to your life.
Take your first step towards a better outlook.
"*" indicates required fields