OCD Treatment
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Treatment
OCD is not just a quirky habit of organizing or cleaning your home meticulously. It’s a debilitating disorder marked by repetitive intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and rituals (compulsions). By the time you have noticed this pattern, you are likely exhausted and frustrated by these thoughts and responses. The good news is that there is a gold-standard, evidence-based treatment available called exposure and response prevention (ERP). ERP involves the use of gradual exposures to obsessions or fears, as well as the gentle prevention of compulsions.
When using ERP, I will obtain your explicit consent to begin this form of treatment and check in with you along the way. Typically, treatment goes as follows:
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We will assess all of the different disturbing thoughts you might be having, the subsequent compulsions/responses to these thoughts, and the ways that OCD attempts to trap you in its feedback loop. I might assign you “homework” around tracking your thoughts during the week to be fully aware of what is arising.
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We will then develop an “exposure hierarchy” in which we rank your fears from least distressing to most distressing. I will then model the use of exposures with you and give you manageable challenges to use on your own during the week.
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Along the way, we will discuss how we can better tolerate and sit with uncertainty, urgency, and discomfort.
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As an optional but often important step, I will typically encourage you to invite adult household members (such as partners or parents) to a session so they can learn how to encourage you to engage in healthy behaviors.
