OCD Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 10-24-2022

Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, poses challenges, not the least of which is making sure you don’t let your OCD define you. If OCD is part of your life, make the effort to focus on other health needs as well. Learn about what the disorder is and the many forms it takes so that you can start overcoming the disorder.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-23-2022

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be a highly distressing and disabling psychiatric problem. It’s characterized by unwanted recurrent, intrusive thoughts, impulses or images that cause marked distress. OCD is also characterized by compulsions — (often repeated) behaviors and/or mental acts in response to obsessions aimed at reducing distress or doubt or preventing harm to self or others. People with OCD often may also avoid triggers for their OCD or fears to avoid the distress of obsessions and the distress and time consumed by compulsions. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is the evidence-based psychological treatment of choice for OCD.

Article / Updated 06-28-2021

Obsessive-compulsive disorder can be a distressing and disabling psychiatric problem. It’s characterized by unwanted repetitive, intrusive thoughts, impulses, or images that create great distress. OCD is also characterized by compulsions and behaviors aimed at reducing stress or doubt or preventing harm to self or others. People with OCD may avoid triggers for their fears to avoid the distress of obsessions and compulsions. But it's often better to face fear head-on. Here are some ideas for confronting OCD to reduce its power; they're called exposure and response prevention (ERP) exercises. These apply to all different kinds of OCD, so some may be irrelevant to you. Use these ideas to come up with exercises that can work for you. Challenging an obsession with cleanliness and contamination Touch the sole of your shoe and then touch your bed, your clean towels and everything in the kitchen. Dilute urine to spread around the house. Touch baby clothes and bottles in a shop to spread contaminant. Place examples of all items that you feel are contaminated in a box or bag, rummage in it daily and spread those contaminants all over your home. Walk around the house touching used underwear to everyday objects. Sit on a public bench and then sit on your bed in the same clothes. Challenging unwanted thoughts Record yourself saying an intrusive thought out loud over and over again and play it to yourself repeatedly. Watch ‘trigger’ scenes from film, TV and so on over and over until you feel your reaction reduce. Write out your worst fear of yourself or a loved one becoming ill and reread it over and over. Write out your own account of a feared catastrophe taking place, such as being arrested by the police and having your computer confiscated, and read it repeatedly. Draw a picture, even just a sketch or a stick diagram, of your feared image and put it up on your wall or fridge. Deliberately think an unwanted thought while eating chocolate (or another treat). Write your unwanted thought on a piece of paper and throw it in a public bin. Challenging an overactive sense of danger Leave your electrical appliances plugged in while you are out at work. Leave a tap running and go and run some errands. Walk under a ladder and open an umbrella indoors. Leave a pair of scissors on the table beside you while you have coffee with a friend. Visit a gay bar and strike up conversation with someone of the same sex. Deliberately make a mistake in your homework or assignment. The key is to see the world as full of opportunities for facing your fears and resisting compulsions. ERP does not have to be perfect; there is always a way of moving toward your fears and helping yourself overcome your OCD.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) can be categorized in quite a few ways, and no clear consensus exists among professionals. However, the following list shows some of the most common forms that this strange disorder takes: Contamination: Fears of dirt, germs, and various kinds of toxins. Contamination worries frequently lead to excessive focus on cleanliness and hand-washing. Doubting and Checking: Fears of having caused harm to one’s house or someone else through negligence. Doubting and Checking OCD often leads to compulsive checking of locks, appliances, and possible victims. Inappropriate thoughts: Fears of acting extremely inappropriately by engaging in shameful acts, or displeasing God. This type of OCD often causes people to engage in various rituals in order to stop them from losing control. Symmetry: Discomfort with asymmetry and having things out of place. Symmetry concerns lead to a compulsive need to have everything arranged “just so.” Hoarding: Fears of discarding potentially useful items. Hoarding leads to collecting gone wild, resulting in rooms and homes filled with useless junk. Superstitions: Obsessional fears about unlucky numbers, anything related to death, and specific words. Superstitious OCD leads to avoidance of these superstitions or attempts to neutralize their effects. Various forms of OCD sometimes overlap and co-occur. If you have several of them, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your treatment won’t succeed.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

People with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) have recurring obsessions — intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that are disturbing and cause distress. OCD sufferers also have compulsions — actions or words they use to reduce the distress brought on by their obsessive worries. Compulsions can include repetitive prayers, counting, touching things in certain ways, checking, and arranging items in special symmetrical ways. Other features of OCD include: Obsessions are unwanted and generally inconsistent with the sufferer’s morals and values. OCD significantly interferes with daily life. OCD sufferers attempt to suppress distressing thoughts but can’t. The thoughts are coming from inside, not being broadcast by space aliens. The compulsions must be done “correctly,” or they must be repeated. The compulsions don’t really make a lot of sense. OCD sufferers usually know that their obsessions and compulsions are unreasonable, but can’t stop them.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

If you live with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), you may feel frustrated, isolated, and just plain strange. Keep the following facts in mind, or on a card to carry with you, as you go about your daily life: OCD obsessions and compulsions do not define who you are; you are not your OCD. Seeking reassurance when you have obsessional worries only makes things worse. Try to avoid asking other people whether everything will be okay. Instead, wait a while and see how things turn out. Overcoming OCD requires you to work hard and accept a little discomfort. Remember that your tolerance for discomfort will increase slowly over time. Changing compulsions in some important way (such as washing your hands differently or arranging things in a new way) helps prepare you to overcome the compulsions. When you change your compulsions, they won’t feel as satisfying, but that’s actually a good thing. Every time you hold off a compulsion, you are taking a step toward overcoming your OCD. Even waiting just 15 or 20 minutes is an accomplishment. Don’t forget that unpleasant feelings always lessen if you give them enough time. Don’t try to suppress your obsessive thoughts. Just remind yourself that they are merely coming from the OCD part of your mind. Reward yourself whenever you take a step forward — do something special, take a break from work, or eat a piece of chocolate. OCD affects both your emotional and physical health. Many people are so consumed by their OCD that they fail to live a healthy lifestyle in other ways. The following tips can remind you to take care of yourself. Get regular exercise. Join a self-help group. Get enough sleep. Have patience. Eat a healthy diet. Treat yourself with kindness and compassion. Don’t isolate yourself. Get professional help if your efforts stall. Consider getting support from some friends or family. *

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Although possibly one of the best decisions you’ll ever make, freeing yourself from OCD is a challenging project. Here are some things to think about, informed by experiences of other people recovering from OCD, that may help you on your road to recovery. Acknowledging you are individual: Everyone’s experience of OCD is different, and there is no single right way to overcome it. It’s about fitting the treatment principles to your problem and making it work for you. Expecting setbacks: Setbacks are a natural part of the process. Forewarned is forearmed: If you expect to have setbacks, you won’t be so surprised or upset when they crop up. Being realistic about your recovery: There is no rule about how long recovering from OCD takes; recovery may be different for everyone. Focus on making small steps and maintaining the gains you’ve made. Owning your progress: Only you can really know how much of the battle you’re winning. Sometimes friends and family may not see when you triumph over the OCD internally; instead, they may focus only on the occasions when the OCD appears to get the better of you. This situation can be frustrating, but bear in mind that the people supporting you probably have your best interests at heart. Dealing with other problems: As your OCD improves, you may find other problems start to rear their heads. These may be problems that the OCD was masking or ones that have developed while you were busy dealing with your OCD. Getting to grips with these is another stage in the recovery process. Surviving the emotional backlash: People imagine they’ll feel elation as their OCD improves, but often there are other more challenging feelings to deal with. These may include anger about having had OCD or a sense of loss for time, opportunities, confidence, experiences and so on that OCD has stolen from you. Allow yourself to take time to grieve; this is an important part of the recovery process. Maintaining support: Even when you’re through the worst of your OCD, you may need continuing support to help you stay on track, deal with any new issues that arise and make the most of the new status quo. Filling the void: If your OCD consumed much of your time and energy (as is often the case), you’ll find there is space both in your head and in your routine for doing other things. Focus on activities that enrich your life; these will help you keep the OCD at bay and give you satisfaction. Treating yourself with compassion: The road you’ve travelled is a rough and exhausting one. Give yourself credit for the things you’ve achieved and forgive yourself for times when it doesn’t go so well. Treat yourself with the kindness you’d bestow on others in your situation. Refuelling and rebalancing: Give yourself time and space to get back on track and adjust. Rebuilding the good practice of healthy eating, good sleep habits, regular exercise and making time for pursuing rewarding activities doesn’t happen overnight.