Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is often misunderstood in our shared culture. Some people think of people with OCD as someone risky, potentially dangerous, or as someone with quirky personality traits.

Whether we hear the term from a client, another provider, or our own classification of someone’s symptoms, “compulsions” tend carry with them some level of assumption – that this might just be OCD.

Have you ever knocked on wood to ward off bad luck? If so, you’ve experienced magical thinking.  

When an individual grapples with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), their brain perceives otherwise neutral situations, objects, or individuals as potential threats.

My question to my fellow therapists who treat women with OCD is this: “How can we teach women to whole heartedly love themselves, when a mind that creates negative, intrusive, and terrifying thoughts is such a large part of us?”  

Obsessive and compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms intensely impact individuals and the entire system in which they live. It can be beyond challenging and painful to watch someone you love struggle with severe anxiety, panic attacks, and engage in behaviors (or thoughts) that do not seem rational.

Parents of children with OCD are often not aware of how they can contribute to their child's behavior, or more specifically, how they unintentionally support the OCD through accommodating behaviors. This blog post explores the role of family accommodations in childhood OCD and provide strategies to help parents better support their child. 

Many of the themes common to OCD have a taboo or forbidden nature to them, making asking for help from treatment providers an anxiety-inducing experience.  Clinicians can be helpful by bringing voice to this issue, acknowledging and validating that anxiety is a natural part of asking for help. 

While both Harm OCD and desire to harm someone involve thoughts relating to harm, distinct features can help differentiate between the two.

Although primary care physicians and other non-specialists in mental health feel comfortable managing less complicated anxiety-related disorders, OCD is a more complex diagnosis and ideally should be managed by a psychiatrist.  Before initiating medication, the psychiatrist will first do a thorough assessment to ensure that the diagnosis of OCD is accurate, and to determine the presence of coexisting conditions that may complicate the treatment.