What is obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)?
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by unwanted and intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses that suddenly pop into the mind that cause significant anxiety or distress (obsessions), and deliberate behaviors or mental acts that are carried out to reduce the anxiety caused by the obsessions (compulsions/rituals/safety behaviors). Currently, OCD affects about 2% of the population.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by unwanted and intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses that suddenly pop into the mind that cause significant anxiety or distress (obsessions), and deliberate behaviors or mental acts that are carried out to reduce the anxiety caused by the obsessions (compulsions/rituals/safety behaviors). Currently, OCD affects about 2% of the population.
Examples of Obsessions:
- Fear of contamination (e.g., germs, chemicals, other people, harm to others)
- Fear of making mistakes (e.g., completing paperwork, saying or writing something inappropriate)
- “Not Just Right” Feelings (e.g., books arranged out of order, odd numbers, handwriting doesn’t look right)
- Fear of accidentally causing harm (e.g., push people into traffic, hit-and-run car accident, burn down house)
- Recurrent harm thoughts or images (e.g., physically harming or killing one's spouse, parent, child, self, friends)
- Sexual (e.g., fears of molesting a child, doubt about sexual preference, doubt about being with right partner)
- Religious/scrupulosity (e.g., doubt about committing a sin/being moral, blasphemous or sacrilegious thoughts)
- Somatic (e.g., intrusive thoughts about breathing, blinking, eye "floaters", ringing in the ears, digestion)
Examples of Avoidance/Compulsions/Rituals/Safety Behaviors
OCD in Children
Children experiencing symptoms of OCD will often exhibit similar behaviors; however, they may not be able to express why they are engaging in these compulsions/avoidances/rituals/safety behaviors. They may also be irritable, cry often, throw temper tantrums that don’t always have an obvious reason, or be more defiant when an obsession is triggered or a compulsion isn’t able to be completed.
Example of OCD in Children at School
How We Can Help
Our therapists will use cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to help the individual learn distress tolerance skills and effective self-talk. For children with OCD, our therapists will guide parents to effectively implement an incentive plan and decrease accommodating behaviors in order to motivate their child to use their coping skills. Most importantly, exposure and response prevention (ERP) and other interventions are used to help the individual gradually practice confronting triggering situations without avoidance or employing unhelpful compulsions or safety behaviors as described above. Exposure practice and elimination of safety behaviors serve to help the individual change his/her beliefs about their inflated sense of responsibility of an outcome, overestimation of the threat of an outcome, ability to cope with uncertainty and imperfection, the importance of benign thoughts, and the need to control intrusive thoughts. Furthermore, our therapists encourage the practice of mindfulness and acceptance strategies, allowing individuals to learn to label their emotions without judging them. The goal is to pursue meaningful activities despite the presence of anxiety, thus promoting better overall functioning.
- Avoid doing things, going places or being with someone because of obsession or ritual
- Worry or ruminating that he/she has not done or will not do anything wrong or inappropriate
- Excessive cleaning (e.g., hand washing or showering, use of anti-bacterial products)
- Excessive checking (e.g., locks, stove, light switch, bodily symptoms)
- Repeated or ritualized routine
- Evening up, ordering, arranging, making things symmetrical
- Counting
- Excessive religious rituals
- Asking for reassurance that he/she has not or will not commit a "wrong" or "bad" act
- Need to tell, ask or confess things
- Do something until it feels "just right"
- Need to touch, tap, or rub
- Superstitious behaviors to ensure that bad thoughts don't happen
- Mental rituals (e.g., silently praying or repeating certain phrases/images to neutralize "bad" thoughts)
- Have others (e.g., family member) perform his/her rituals or accommodate his/her rituals
OCD in Children
Children experiencing symptoms of OCD will often exhibit similar behaviors; however, they may not be able to express why they are engaging in these compulsions/avoidances/rituals/safety behaviors. They may also be irritable, cry often, throw temper tantrums that don’t always have an obvious reason, or be more defiant when an obsession is triggered or a compulsion isn’t able to be completed.
Example of OCD in Children at School
- Excessive focus on neatness (e.g., organizing desk or backpack, lining things up, ordering or arranging items)
- Doing homework “perfectly” (e.g., checking and rechecking, re-doing homework, rewriting assignments, erasing repeatedly, rereading)
- Repeatedly checking locks and zippers (homework, backpack, lockers, desk)
- Refusing to touch others’ belongings (pencils, clothes, desks, books)
- Frequent trips to restroom or refusal to use the restroom
- Counting or focusing on certain numbers
- Becoming agitated when others touch their items or wanting to wipe or clean them afterwards
- Repeatedly washing or sanitizing hands
- Seeking reassurance from teachers or peers
- Repeatedly apologizing to teachers or peers
- Refusal to share
- Refusal to eat in the cafeteria
How We Can Help
Our therapists will use cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to help the individual learn distress tolerance skills and effective self-talk. For children with OCD, our therapists will guide parents to effectively implement an incentive plan and decrease accommodating behaviors in order to motivate their child to use their coping skills. Most importantly, exposure and response prevention (ERP) and other interventions are used to help the individual gradually practice confronting triggering situations without avoidance or employing unhelpful compulsions or safety behaviors as described above. Exposure practice and elimination of safety behaviors serve to help the individual change his/her beliefs about their inflated sense of responsibility of an outcome, overestimation of the threat of an outcome, ability to cope with uncertainty and imperfection, the importance of benign thoughts, and the need to control intrusive thoughts. Furthermore, our therapists encourage the practice of mindfulness and acceptance strategies, allowing individuals to learn to label their emotions without judging them. The goal is to pursue meaningful activities despite the presence of anxiety, thus promoting better overall functioning.
P H O N E 219.228.7630
F A X 219.228.1083
E M A I L info@anxietybehavioralhealth.com
A D D R E S S 900 Ridge Road, Suite F, Munster, Indiana 46321
F A X 219.228.1083
E M A I L info@anxietybehavioralhealth.com
A D D R E S S 900 Ridge Road, Suite F, Munster, Indiana 46321