Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a treatment for OCD that uses two scientifically based techniques to change a person’s behavior and thoughts: exposure and response prevention (ERP) and cognitive therapy. CBT is conducted by a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has special training in treating OCD.
Having obsessive-compulsive disorder isn’t the end of the world. Of course you’d rather not have it, but just like asthma, diabetes, and other medical conditions, there is a treatment. You will be able to live with OCD and manage its symptoms. Just give yourself a little time to learn about this disorder and keep it under control.
Dr. Elspeth Bell, a licensed psychologist at the Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington, speaks on behalf of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. She describes the mental illness OCD, which stands for obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD is a serious and often debilitating chronic anxiety disorder that causes people to have unwanted and intrusive thoughts, or obsessions. To try to ease their anxiety or distress, people with OCD often repeatedly perform ritualistic behaviors and routines, called compulsions.
Interacting with and caring for a family member with OCD can be very stressful. To effectively help that person, you need to do whatever is necessary to take care of your own physical and emotional well-being. Here are some tips about what you can—and cannot—do.
Attending school presents students with opportunities to develop academic skills along with social skills that will follow a student throughout life. For a student who has OCD, symptoms can present barriers to social development.
When a student has OCD, the patterns of problems of the disorder may become more obvious and predictable. It’s unrealistic to expect disciplinary action to change what the student is unable to change, and it may actually create more stress for the already distressed student and exacerbate symptoms.
Students who have OCD may benefit from social support strategies at school.
Teachers, principals, school nurses, social workers, psychologists, counselors, and paraprofessionals can play a pivotal role in helping a student.
It may be hard to recognize that OCD is causing learning difficulties, interpersonal problems, or great distress and anxiety. When students are barraged by obsessive fears, doubts, and urges, they may perform rituals or compulsions to neutralize or undo these thoughts or feelings to try to feel better. But sometimes it’s not clear that a student’s behavior is connected to OCD. Students who have OCD may not perform these actions repeatedly in the classroom, or they may be completing rituals mentally or covertly.
OCD is like an unwelcome guest with bad manners. It moves into a mind — and it doesn’t want to leave.
Students with OCD may appear to be daydreaming, distracted, disinterested, or even lazy. They may seem unfocused and unable to concentrate. But they are really very busy focusing on their nagging urges or confusing, stressful, and sometimes terrifying OCD thoughts and images. They may also be focused on completing rituals, either overtly or covertly, to relieve their distress.
Mutual help group open to individuals with OCD and family members and friends.
