Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterised by obsessions and compulsions. 

Obsessions might be in the form of thoughts, images, urges or sensations, that cause distress. Typically obsessions are unwanted and they are recurrent for people with OCD. 

Everyone experiences 'intrusive thoughts', they are very common and for people without OCD they will just pop into our mind, might cause some initial discomfort, but then move on. A really common example of an intrusive thought that occurs could be "What if I jumped off this bridge?". This thought occurs in individuals with and without OCD. However, for someone with harm OCD, this thought might cause high levels of distress and anxiety which feels unbearable, causing more worry and 'spiralling' over and over that thought. 

Compulsions are repetitive behaviours or mental acts that are used to try to neutralise or reduce the anxiety and distress caused by the obsessions. Often individuals with OCD will say "I don't have any compulsions", but compulsions can be seen or they can also be hidden. Compulsions come in lots of different forms, we might look for confessing, reassurance seeking, over apologising, checking, washing, blocking of thoughts, saying statements to yourself (such as I am safe, I am a good person), counting, retracing or repeating, mental review or avoidance.  

When an individual with OCD performs a compulsion they get some temporary relief from the anxiety and distress. But long term, the compulsions actually lead to more obsessions, more anxiety and more compulsions, leaving the person with OCD to have a feeling that they are stuck in the OCD spiral. 

The good news is that OCD can be treated. Current 'gold standard' treatment for OCD is using a CBT form of therapy called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Often this is our first line of response, however this may also be supplemented with pharmacological treatment following discussion with a psychiatrist or your GP. 

At SO Psychology, your OCD psychologist will use ERP therapy for treatment of your OCD. Often there is some anxiety around starting ERP as it feels very different to a 'talk therapy', but the evidence shows that ERP is the most effective form of therapy and will help you to overcome OCD.

Want to learn a little more about ERP? 

Have a read here.