OCD Therapy
Do You Notice Yourself Frequently Consumed By Repetitive And Unwanted Thoughts?
Are you often compelled to engage in certain behaviors or ways of thinking in order to stop those thoughts?
Is your child constantly seeking reassurance from you, and having frequent meltdowns due to feeling so anxious?
If you’re noticing that you or your child are having repeated thoughts, urges or mental images that are unwanted, intrusive, and make you anxious, paired with a repetitive behavior (or what we call a compulsion) in response to the unwanted thoughts you may be experiencing symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). With the help of a trained therapist, you or your child can start to feel the upsetting thoughts and urges dissipate from your life.
OCD Doesn’t Have to Control Your Life
Due to mainstream media, people often think that Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a fear of germs or being dirty, with the stereotypical person constantly washing their hands or using hand sanitizer. You may have also heard people flippantly joking that they are “so OCD” because they like their house organized and clean. However, there are different subtypes, and is often very distressing to the person that is experiencing it.
Common subtypes can include:
Checking
Contamination
Harm
“Just Right”
Scrupulosity
Existential
Relational
Numbers/Counting
Balance/Symmetry
Hoarding
Violent/Sexual Obsessions
PANS/PANDAS
Along with the obsessional thoughts, common compulsions can include:
Checking doors, stoves, or windows or frequent hand washing
Counting numbers, lines or ordering things in particular ways
Following strict routines or rules
Demanding reassurance from others or children demanding it from parents
Silently repeating prayers or frequent need to confess to clergy
Frequently trying to replace a bad thought with a good thought
Being paralyzed to act if it doesn’t feel “just right”
Frequently checking if you feel attracted to your partner or comparing to past relationships
Thoughts of harming others that are distressing, or frequent worries you will harm others without any prior behaviors of that nature
Do You Have Questions About OCD Therapy?
How Common Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
Approximately 1.2% of adults are diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder in the USA every year [1] and in children it is around 1-2% [2].
Although the exact causes of OCD are yet to be identified by a single cause, it is believed to be a combination of biology, genetics and learning. More recently, some children have developed symptoms of OCD that can be related to the diagnosis of PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections). Despite not knowing the full cause, we do know that specific treatment approaches in obsessive-compulsive therapy can be highly effective. The good news is we can help with our highly trained counselors. We know the effective ways in treating this.
Effective OCD Treatment Can Help!
The gold standard for OCD counseling is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), but more specifically Exposure Response Prevention Therapy (ERP). Your therapist will use strategies to intentionally expose you to the things that make you anxious, while also helping you to manage the distress that comes along with this. The focus in session will be to expose you to the distressing thought without acting on the compulsion. Obsessive-Compulsive targeted therapy helps your brain to learn more corrective ways to manage the obsession, and over time you will feel less compelled to engage in certain behaviors.
What To Expect For Your Child In Therapy
If you are a parent to a child with OCD, therapy will also teach you the more helpful ways to manage your child’s symptoms without making it worse. You will be fully included in the process so that you can feel confident in managing it at home. While initially this can feel scary, our treatment approach is to carefully plan and discuss each step of the process with you and your child. Your child will first learn how to calm their anxiety in the safety of our office and then practice in their outside world.
What Are The Steps In Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Treatment?
Typically initial steps will be teaching you or your child skills to manage difficult emotions, such as riding the wave of emotions, grounding skills, and rating your distress on the SUDS scale. You will then work with your therapist to build an exposure list that you will practice inside and outside of counseling. If you are the parent, your OCD therapist will help teach you ways to be less accommodating to the obsessions and compulsions in the home environment to help your child.
Over time, this helps your brain to develop more corrective learning and break free from the OCD. Part of this learning is to allow more comfort in managing the uncertainty of life. Our therapists have also found that ERP combined with certain medications like SSRI’s can help alleviate the symptoms more quickly and effectively than traditional talk therapy.
Even Though You Believe You Have OCD, You May Find Yourself Hesitating To Reach Out. Or As A Parent, You May Feel At A Complete Loss Of How To Help Your Child.
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Some forms of OCD can include thoughts that you fear will be judged by society, especially if it is around harming someone else or even yourself. At Willow Shore Counseling, we understand that these thoughts are often distressing and what we call “ego-dystonic” meaning that they often go against your core values so are upsetting to you. We know you don’t want these thoughts, and we aren’t judging you for having them.
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In Utah, it is common for many of our religious clients to not always see how their thoughts and behaviors are actually a form of OCD called scrupulosity. It may be that some of your thoughts are validated by spiritual practices or beliefs such as praying or confessing to clergy, so you think you are doing the right thing by constantly confessing or frequently praying or reading your scriptures. If it feels compulsive and you can’t stop yourself from doing it, this may mean that this is just “tricky” OCD and not that you are being extra spiritual!
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Traditional talk therapy, play therapy or common CBT practices such as thought stopping or replacing negative thoughts can make OCD worse. That is why it is important to see a counselor trained in ERP, as this has been proven to ease or cease the obsessions and compulsions. If you (or your child) require more extensive support, we work closely with other treatment programs that offer more intensive care that some people may find necessary to start feeling relief.
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If you are seeing yourself in this paragraph, or think a lot of this sounds like what your child is experiencing, it may be time to see a professional that has the right kind of training to help you.
You Can Be Free Of Repetitive Thoughts And Stop The Urges To Engage In Rituals And Behaviors!
Imagine how much more time and brain space you will have to be relieved of these obsessions and compulsions. We are here to answer any additional questions you may have, and encourage you to contact us today using the button below. If you would like to talk further about this to see if we are a good fit, you can also request a brief 10 minute consultation prior to scheduling an appointment. We respond to all inquiries within 24 hours.
[1] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd
[2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2662563/#:~:text=Abstract,and%20interfere%20with%20daily%20life.
OCD Therapy Lehi, UT
1220 N 500 W Suite 201,
Lehi, UT 84043
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