– Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Relationship OCD (ROCD) is among the many subtypes of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Before looking more closely at this particular subtype, let’s do a quick review of OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by the presence of disturbing thoughts or images (obsessions) that are intrusive and unwanted. The nature of these obsessions are distressing … Read More
– Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Every day, twelve-year-old Emily is consumed with the fear that she might accidentally hurt somebody or cause them harm. One day, she sees a knife on the kitchen counter and the thought “you could walk into the other room and stab your father with that knife” immediately pops into her head. For the rest of the … Read More
– Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Have you ever felt that you are “stuck” or falling behind in life? This feeling might convince you that maybe if you just tried harder, you could propel yourself into a life experience that will bring success and happiness. This feeling might prompt you to search Pinterest for motivation quotes, purchase self-help books and bullet journals, … Read More
– Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC National Eating Disorder Awareness week (NEDAW) is observed each year during the last week in February. During my time in high school, this “awareness” typically looked like some well-intentioned student organization plastering triggering images of “textbook anorexic” models in the girls’ bathroom. Although perspectives on eating-disorders have become more progressive, there is still … Read More
– Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Forgiveness is an elusive creature. We may find it difficult to give when we have been wronged by others, choosing instead to cling on to painful emotions of anger, resentment and blame. And when we are the transgressor, we yearn for forgiveness to extinguish our guilt, regret and remorse. And yet there are still other times … Read More
– Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC “I’m so OCD!” “That’s just my OCD!” These phrases probably sound familiar—people often mistakenly assume they are describing behaviors they believe are synonymous with being a “perfectionist” or a “germaphobe”. For example, you might hear somebody say, “I’m OCD about dishes…I can’t sleep until they are all washed and put away.” These remarks usually come … Read More
by Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Setting boundaries is an important, but often misunderstood, tool. Some people think boundaries are only needed in extreme scenarios where physical or emotional abuse is occurring. Other people may believe they have good boundaries when in reality they are putting up walls or avoid asserting their own wishes and preferences out of fear as being seen … Read More
by Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Many people wonder if the amount of stress they are experiencing is “normal”. They look to the person next to them and think “hmm, that guy looks pretty happy…am I happy enough? Should I be more worried about the fact that I’m not as happy as that guy?” Before they know it, they begin to … Read More
by Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC The holiday season is filled with expectations. Fueled by idyllic scenes depicted in movies and social media postings, our imaginations can run wild with ideas of how things should be. Annoyingly, how things should be is rarely how things actually are. Don’t stress if you feel that things aren’t going right for you this season. … Read More
by Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is an anxiety disorder that causes a person to experience excessive worries and anxiety about one or several aspects of their physical appearance. BDD affects approximately one in every 50 people. While a person of any age or gender can have BDD, it is most common in teenage and young adult women. … Read More
