You Are More Than Your Thoughts

What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a long-lasting disorder in which a person experiences uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions), engages in repetitive behaviors (compulsions), or both. People with OCD have time-consuming symptoms that can cause significant distress or interfere with daily life. However, treatment is available to help people manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.

OCD feeds off of perfectionism, the very thing our success-driven culture values and encourages. For some, the intense pressure to do things "just right" can contribute to ritualistic behaviors, such as excessive checking or sanitizing. And for those with purely obsessional OCD (Pure O), the compulsions are internalized as they attempt to neutralize troubling thoughts with other thoughts.

Obsessions

Obsessions are repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that are intrusive, unwanted, and make most people anxious. Common obsessions include:

  • Fear of germs or contamination

  • Fear of forgetting, losing, or misplacing something

  • Fear of losing control over one’s behavior

  • Unwanted, forbidden, or taboo thoughts involving sex, religion, or harm

Compulsions

Compulsions are repetitive behaviors a person feels an overwhelming urge to do. Common compulsions include:

  • Excessive cleaning or handwashing

  • Ordering or arranging items in a particular, precise way

  • Repeatedly checking things, such as that the door is locked or the oven is off

  • Compulsive counting or repeating words silently

"People who live with OCD drag a metal sea anchor around. Obsession is a brake, a source of drag, not a badge of creativity."

— David Adam,

Therapy Approaches

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):

CBT helps you recognize harmful or untrue patterns of thinking. Greater awareness helps you see clearly to view and respond effectively in challenging situations. By recognizing negative thoughts, their impact on feelings and self-defeating behavior patterns, you’re able to stay present and choose new supportive behaviors.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP):

ERP effectively reduces compulsive behaviors by working in a safe environment gradually exposes you to situational triggers without engaging in compulsive behaviors. This controlled exposure overtime leads to decreasing anxiety and great self-autonomy.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT):

ACT provides support to understand both your thoughts and feelings. By clarifying values, developing mindfulness skills, and utilize effective coping skills, you gain greater awareness of your thoughts and emotions.

How OCD Can Feel

Missing Out

Living with OCD can feel isolating, as intrusive thoughts, compulsions, and rituals are often misunderstood. Shame or embarrassment can lead to hidnig their struggles from others out of fear of judgment or rejection.

Distorted Responsibility

Shame and guilt are commonly experienced for individuals with OCD. Intrusive thoughts often oppose our genuine values. Despite not wanting these thoughts, actively trying to free themselves, many blame themselves. This internalizes shame and further perpetuates the cycle.

Failure Feels Inevitable

Despite awareness on the compulsions contradictions, repeatedly engaging in the cycle can erode one’s self-esteem. Overtime, this can lead to individual’s feeling out of control, burnout, and powerless to change. Anxiety compounds the cycle when individual’s exhaust energy anticipating repeating the process.

Fractured Self Identity

Intrusive thoughts and compulsions often conflict with our values and identity. Over time, these struggles can cause individuals to question their authentic self-concept and genuine values.

“It’s like you have two brains— a rational brain and an irrational brain. And they’re constantly fighting.”

- Emilie Ford

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Not always. Many people with OCD hide their compulsions afraid of being judged, ridiculed or given unhelpful advice.

    Shame & stigma, leads many to conceal, avoiding talk about their obsessive thoughts and only engage in compulsions either in private or in a very discreet manner.

  • No, OCD is a disorder that has a clinical diagnosis and effective treatment options. A person with OCD can recover, be fully functional and not suffer from this disorder.

    While many with OCD will experience symptoms over their life, effective treatment can allow them to live rich rewarding life fully without it compromising their day-to-day lives.

  • It’s just about being overly cleaning, washing your hands and organizing.

    The Truth: While a fear of germs or contamination is one type of OCD, it manifests in many different ways. Obsessions can involve fears of causing harm to loved ones, forbidden thoughts, or an obsession with symmetry. Compulsions aren’t completed because you WANT to, but you HAVE to. You believe you NEED to.

    It’s not a big deal, everyone one is a little OCD.

    The Truth: While many people can have obsessive or compulsive traits, people who are diagnosed with OCD cannot simply “turn it off.” Research has shown that their brains are wired differently than the brains of people without OCD, and as such OCD strongly influences their thoughts and actions.

    People with OCD just need to control their thoughts or "snap out of it."

    The Truth: OCD cannot be overcome by willpower. OCD changes an individual’s brain structure and intrusive thought patterns. These automatic, involuntary thoughts compelled to perform rituals to end the distress.

    Individuals often are aware these obsessions aren’t rational. Often people with OCD often want to stop, but despite repeated efforts continue complet

  • No, Fact: OCD does not have a single, clear cause.

    Many people with mental illnesses also have a history of trauma. However, it is essential to point out that trauma does not inherently causeOCD. Furthermore, there are many individuals with OCD who do not report any history of childhood problems.

    Experts have not identified a single or exact cause of OCD. Like most mental illnesses, the symptoms and risk factors appear to be multifaceted. That said, research suggests that OCD may involve communication problems between the front part of the brain and deeper structures in the brain.

  • https://iocdf.org/

    American Psychological Association

    https://www.apa.org

    NOCD

    https://www.treatmyocd.com

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder: When unwanted thoughts take over. (2010). PsycEXTRA Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1037/e620122011-001

    Singh A, Anjankar VP, Sapkale B. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A Comprehensive Review of Diagnosis, Comorbidities, and Treatment Approaches. Cureus. 2023 Nov 17;15(11):e48960. doi: 10.7759/cureus.48960. PMID: 38111433; PMCID: PMC10726089.

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