If you have thoughts or "mental images" and perform some type of action in response to them, you probably experience constant tension and worry. OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) requires the presence of obsessions and compulsions, in which a lot of time is spent per day (more than 1 hour a day) with great discomfort or deterioration in several important areas of your life (family, friends, work/school /school).
But... what are obsessions and compulsions?
Obsessions are recurring thoughts, impulses or images, which appear in an intrusive and unwanted way, and which usually cause anxiety or significant discomfort. Therefore, attempts are made to ignore or neutralize them with some other, more pleasant thought or act (compulsion). Compulsions are behaviors (for example: tidying up, washing hands, checking that I have turned off the lights) or mental acts (for example: counting, repeating words or phrases, praying) that are activated in response to an obsession, with the objective of preventing or reducing discomfort, or preventing some feared event or situation from occurring.
Are there different types of OCD?
There are several themes in OCD: order (categorizing, counting, maintaining symmetry), cleanliness (avoiding contamination/dirt), forbidden or taboo thoughts (sexual or religious), harm (harming oneself or others).
What does therapy for OCD consist of?
On the one hand, intervention in OCD includes addressing dysfunctional beliefs about hyperresponsibility, the tendency to overestimate threats, perfectionism, intolerance of uncertainty, high need for control, and excessive importance given to thoughts ( for example, believing that having a forbidden thought is as bad as doing it).
On the other hand, exposure with response prevention is also effective, that is, you expose yourself to those thoughts, preventing and avoiding carrying out the compulsion, with the aim of not reinforcing that association and experiencing that there are no negative consequences if I do not do that. ritual".
If you have experienced these symptoms or live with them, do not hesitate to book a consultation to evaluate your case and guide you. Addressing OCD autonomously is complicated since the impulses are quite strong and it is difficult to "cut" the loop. I encourage you to see us in consultation to work on it together.
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