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The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD
By Jon Hershfield, MFT
Treating Your OCD with Exposure and Response (Ritual) Prevention Therapy: Workbook
By Elna Yadin
Websites and Organizations
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), is a
potentially disabling disorder that traps people
in repetitive cycles of thoughts and behaviors.
People with OCD are plagued by recurring and
distressing thoughts, fears, or images
(obsessions) they cannot control. The anxiety
produced by these thoughts leads to an urgent
need to perform certain rituals or routines
(compulsions). The compulsive rituals are
performed in an attempt to prevent the
obsessive thoughts or make them go away.
Although the ritual may temporarily alleviate the nervousness and worry, the person must perform the ritual again when the obsessive thoughts return. This OCD cycle can progress to the point of taking up hours of the person's day and significantly interfering with employment, relationships, and daily activities of life. People with OCD may be aware that their obsessions and compulsions do not make sense or are not realistic but nevertheless cannot stop them.
Typically, without treatment the outcome of this disorder is chronic, with waxing and waning symptoms overtime. A type of cognitive-behavioral therapy called exposure and response prevention is considered the most effective type of counseling for OCD. With exposure and response prevention therapy, you repeatedly expose yourself to an obsession, such as something you fear being contaminated, and deny yourself the ritual compulsive act, which in this case would be washing your hands. This therapy is done with a therapist or on your own with direction from your therapist.
At Lifegrowth, we strive to help you begin identifying and confronting the obsessions and compulsions that are keeping you from experience life at its fullest. We want to help you regain control of your thoughts and actions so that you can pursue your purpose and potential today.
LifeGrowth Psychological Services
Note: The resources and information on this page are meant for general information purposes only.
Lifegrowth is not responsible for the information or claims made by these resources.
Recommended Reading:
Our Approach to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Talking Back to OCD
by John March, M.D.
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