Understanding OCD, and Breaking free from the Cycle
Trapped in the Loop of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
In popular culture, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often misrepresented. The condition is often portrayed as a joke, someone who keeps things tidy or checks the stove. OCD can be a serious and debilitating disorder that consumes hours of the day, and takes away a person's sense of peace and autonomy.
What is OCD?
OCD is marked by two interconnected symptoms: obsessions, and compulsions. Obsessions can be intrusive thoughts, images or urges causing significant distress. Compulsions can be repetitive mental or behavioral acts or behaviors performed as a response to obsessions. They are an attempt to reduce anxiety or avoid a fearful outcome.
OCD's cruel logic is that the compulsions only provide temporary relief. The cycle continues as the anxiety, often more intense than before, returns. Over time, rituals become more complex and take up more of a person's daily life.
Common OCD Themes
OCD can manifest in many ways. Fear of germs or illness or feeling "dirty" can cause OCD. This is why people have excessive cleaning or washing rituals. Harm OCD is characterized by intrusive, distressing thoughts of hurting yourself or others. Compulsions to arrange objects in a symmetrical or ordered way until it feels "just right" are a result of symmetry and order compulsions. Pure O is a term that can be misleading. It describes OCD where mental rituals are more important than visible behaviors. Religious and moral scrupulosity is characterized by a fear of sin, imperfection or offending God.
Understanding that OCD is not a reflection of the person's true character or desires is important. These thoughts are a symptom of an unwanted disorder.
The Burden of OCD
The World Health Organization has ranked OCD as one of the most debilitating conditions. Severe OCD can cause people to spend up to four hours a day in rituals. All aspects of daily life, including relationships, employment, education and daily activities, are affected. Treatment is often delayed for years by shame and secrecy.
Treatment that Works
OCD is a condition that responds to specialized treatments. Exposure and Response Prevention is the gold-standard psychotherapy for OCD. ERP involves gradually facing feared situations, without compulsions. This allows anxiety to decrease naturally and breaks the cycle of reinforcement. It's challenging, but it is highly effective. SSRIs in higher doses for OCD are used as the main medication. Newer treatments, such as Acceptance and commitment therapy and intensive residential programs, offer hope to those who don't respond to standard treatment.
Reclaim Your life
OCD doesn't have to be the star of the show. Our experienced clinicians at Inland Empire Behavioral Group, in Riverside, California provide specialized OCD treatments grounded in evidence, delivered with compassion.