Anxiety OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Loren Esposito LICSW

For more information on the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder please visit

www.iocdf.org

All anxiety is not created equal !

OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is based on experiencing " Obsessions" that can be thoughts/ images, which create anxiety/ fears and emotional distress. These fears can be felt so strongly that the person feels compelled to do something that will quickly decrease the distress. Unfortunately the relief may not last for long because the person may be triggered  again and experience the fears and engage in a behavior or "Compusion " once again.

The repetition of experiencing intrusive Obsessions and engaging in Compulsions to decrease anxiety often increases overtime unless the person seeks appropriate treatment. Some people with OCD can find themselves feeling trapped in a painful cycle, taking away precious time that they would prefer to use on enjoyable daily activities.

Some common Obsession themes are

Contamination, Just Right, Religious/Moral, Aggressive, Symmetry, and Harm

Some Common Compulsions are

Excessive Cleaning, Perfectionism, Ritual behaviors or thinking, Checking,

Treatment for OCD often consists of a type of CBT cognitive Behavioral Therapy called ERP exposure response prevention. Other treatments like ACTand MI are also helpful and if needed medication be helpful. To find out more about OCD, Treatment and related conditions, please visit  www.iocdf.org The International OCD Foundation website for  information and resources.