What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

By Janelle Schlueter, MS, LPC, NCC, CCTP Chances are you have heard people say, "I have OCD; I need things to be neat and tidy." While it can be frustrating to be preoccupied with a desire for neatness, it's not Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Let's learn a little about what OCD is and how it is treated.

What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

OCD is an intense anxiety disorder of uncontrollable, intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions). To be diagnosed with OCD, these obsessions and compulsions must be present for over an hour daily. They must also cause significant distress and interfere with daily life.

What does OCD look like?

Let's consider this example of someone with OCD related to an intense fear that their loved one will die. They would spend hours a day focused on this fear. They would become so preoccupied with this fear that they form a ritual (compulsion) to lessen the risk of losing their loved one. The compulsion could be something like having the uncontrollable need to flip off the light switch 17 times, or their loved one will die. This person knows rationally that flipping the light switch would not have anything to do with their fear. With that said, OCD is not rational. OCD manipulates the mind, so the person feels like compulsions are a way for them to control the outcome. It is often terrifying for a person to not complete the compulsions. https://unsplash.com/photos/sxQz2VfoFBE Those with OCD try to manage their fears with their rituals. When the rituals bring relief of the anxiety/fear, even for a moment, it reinforces the strength and power of OCD. The person may feel relief for a minute or even a few hours. Now, whenever this fear arises, they must do the ritual.

How does OCD therapy work?

The goal of OCD therapy is to gain an understanding of a person's unique intrusive thoughts, fears, and compulsions. OCD therapy will also address healthy coping skills and positive self-talk. Other topics and skills will be added to the treatment plan to meet a person's unique needs. Therapists often call these topics and skills a 'toolbox'. The toolbox helps the person move forward in therapy and allows them to cope when experiencing something distressing, such as challenging OCD thoughts and compulsions. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the most successful therapy for OCD. ERP involves exposure to the obsession and then delaying the compulsions. ERP requires that the person begin with exposure to a less anxious thought. After they note a significant decrease in the intensity of the study, they can move on to more distressing obsessions. https://unsplash.com/photos/swi1DGRCshQ If you struggle with intrusive thoughts and rituals that affect your quality of life, therapy can help! A therapist will help to identify the type of OCD, develop a unique treatment plan, and help you reduce the intensity of the thoughts and need for rituals. It can be scary to work on intrusive thoughts and rituals. Find a therapist you feel comfortable with, and watch the progress unfold! If you struggle with intrusive thoughts and rituals that affect your quality of life, therapy can help! A therapist will help to identify the type of OCD, develop a unique treatment plan and help you reduce the intensity of the thoughts and need for rituals. It can be scary to work on intrusive thoughts and rituals. Find a therapist who you feel comfortable with and watch the progress unfold!

Begin Therapy for OCD in Katy, TX!

If you are struggling with OCD, one of the therapists at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch can help! We provide mental health counseling, as well as other mental health services. To begin counseling in Katy, TX follow these three steps:

• Contact our office to set up an appointment or to learn more information
• Meet with one of our knowledgeable therapists
• Find ways to thrive through therapy today!

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Here at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch, we offer counseling services for people of all ages in areas including counseling for kids, counseling for young adults, teen counseling, couples counseling, eating disorder treatment, men's issues, women's issues, anxiety treatment, depression therapy, trauma counseling, family therapy, and group counseling. Our therapists strive to post blogs regularly. We provide helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. To learn more about our therapists and our counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!