– by Madison Di Silvio Psychosis/Mental Health OCD is a subtype of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, that consists of intrusive thoughts and ritualistic behavior in attempt to reduce the level of distress these thoughts cause. Psychosis/Mental health OCD is when the sufferer fears they are developing psychosis or another mental health condition that they deem as “worse”. Both could be … Read More
– by Madison Di Silvio The core fear is an important part in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Identifying the core fear is like revealing “the man behind the curtain” of OCD; we must pay attention to it in order to understand how it is controlling thoughts and compulsions. What is a Core Fear? The “core fear” in … Read More
– Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Reassurance seeking is a behavior or mental act aimed at clarifying or verifying something that is typically already known. It often emerges through an individual’s inability to tolerate uncertainty. Most people can obtain information and feel relatively satisfied with being “sure enough” of a specific quandary. However, this “sure enough” part of the brain … Read More
– Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Contamination OCD 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. OCD is characterized by the presence of disturbing thoughts or images (obsessions) that are intrusive and unwanted. As a result, people with OCD feel driven to engage in repetitive … Read More
– Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Real Event OCD is a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental health condition characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors that cause significant distress and interfere with daily functioning. As the name suggests, Real Event OCD can be defined as simply as “having OCD about real events”. As humans, we have all done things … Read More
– Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Think back to the first time you ever got behind the wheel of a car. If you’re like most people, it was far from a “stress free” experience. There was probably a lot of adrenaline coursing through your veins and your mind was automatically thinking of all the possible worst-case scenarios that could … Read More
– 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 “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 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 … Read More
