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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is classified by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) as an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).
What are the signs/symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
- Recurrent and persistent intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses (obsessions)
- Repetitive behaviors and/or mental acts that one feels driven to perform in response to the obsession or according to rigidly applied rules (compulsions)
- The compulsions are enacted with the goal of reducing anxiety or distress related to the obsession
- The obsessions are not limited to worries about everyday issues
- The individual unsuccessfully attempts to ignore, suppress, or neutralize obsessions with ritualistic compulsions
- The individual typically recognizes the obsessions as being excessive and/or unreasonable (in adults)
- The obsessions and compulsions cause marked distress, are time consuming, and interfere with one’s daily functioning"
OCD is a disorder, not a habit
People with OCD cannot simply "stop" their compulsive rituals.
How is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder treated?
How is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder treated? Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and medication have both been demonstrated through scientific investigations to be effective in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, with a combination of the two treatments being most effective.
What is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder involves a procedure called Exposure and Response Prevention. Exposure and Response prevention involves the systematic exposure of an individual to a hierarchy of feared stimuli while preventing the ritualized response. Through this procedure, the individual “habituates,” gradually experiencing less anxiety, and is able to eliminate the compulsive response.
Not just organized
OCD is an anxiety disorder, not simply an over-emphasis on order or cleanliness.
How can The Center for Emotional Health help me?
The Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Treatment Program utilizes state of the art techniques in the treatment of OCD, including exposure and response prevention, behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, and supportive approaches to alleviate obsessions and compulsions
and improve daily functioning.