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What actually happens in a first session
Most people arrive at the first appointment carrying two things: whatever brought them, and the worry that they will not know how to say it. Here is the whole hour, in plain terms, so one of those can be put down before you walk in.
"That's Not OCD": Clarifying Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and How to Seek Help
Most people arrive at the first appointment carrying two things: whatever brought them, and the worry that they will not know how to say it. Here is the whole hour, in plain terms, so one of those can be put down before you walk in.
Too often, people misuse the term “OCD”. As part of our culture, it has become a habit to use “OCD” as a catchall for a series of harmless personality quirks that have nothing to do with the actual disorder. While, typically, no one who utters “I’m so OCD” in the heat of the moment means any harm by it, the truth is that misusing the term causes unintentional damage to the way OCD is viewed. Statements like the previous example trivialize what people with OCD experience; that, in turn, makes it harder for them to express what they are feeling and ultimately seek out help.
Building awareness begins with understanding what OCD really entails—how it manifests, how it impacts those who live with it, and the forms of support that can make a difference.
What is OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder that involves an endless cycle of obsessions and compulsions (thus the name). Obsessions are strong and persistent intrusive thoughts that interrupt a person’s life on a regular basis. When it comes to these thoughts, they can take on a wide variety of themes, including but by no means limited to:
- Fear of germs and/or illness
- Fear of harm to self or others
- Doubt of the feelings of partners, friends, family etc.
- Fear of being bad or “sinful”, if religiously inclined
The second part of OCD comes in the form of compulsions, also referred to as rituals. These rituals are actions, both external (such as checking a lock a series of times) and internal (such as counting to a certain number in your head). Typically, these rituals are linked to the person’s intrusive thoughts in some way, such as a fear of germs and/or illness will lead to compulsive handwashing, to the point of causing harm to themselves. While the initial thought is that the ritual provides some relief to the anxiety that induced the intrusive thought, that relief does not last long if at all. A key feature to OCD is that the intrusive thoughts always return, meaning that the rituals must be started all over again.
OCD is not a choice. In many cases, a person with OCD is aware that there is no logical reason for the rituals that they do. However, they cannot stop the intrusive thoughts from appearing nor the overwhelming anxiety that something bad will happen if they do not complete their ritual. The cycle of intrusive thought to ritual and back again takes up a significant portion of a person’s day, leading to exhaustion and making it extremely difficult to participate in the flow of day-to-day life that their peers experience. You can now see why this is very different from someone who occasionally has a strong opinion about which way the toilet paper roll should be placed on the dispenser, and how marginalizing that experience can make it difficult for someone with the disorder to express a need for help.
What Can You Do About OCD?
Many people who suffer from OCD can feel embarrassed by the way the disorder manifests in their lives. This leads to them suffering in silence and avoiding asking for help.
With the help of a trained professional, many people with OCD see significant improvement through the use of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). By exploring the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, CBT helps individuals identify the patterns that keep them stuck in the cycle of obsessions and compulsions.
In particular, OCD typically sees a high response rate to exposure and response prevention (ERP). While ERP can be a slow process, involving exposure to the negative stimuli and learning coping strategies to change your response to the stimuli, it can be highly effective in changing the patterns of a person’s life, and finally allowing them to make a positive change in their lives, freeing them from cycle they’d previously been trapped in.
Where to find help?
Many professional therapists use CBT in their work and are equipped to help you begin your journey to changing your habits and breaking the cycle. If anything in this article resonated with you, consider reaching out to one of our therapists or our client care coordinator to begin the process to find the right fit for you and your needs.