What is Psychosis/Mental Health OCD?

 – 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

OCD Core Fears: The Man Behind the Curtain

   – 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

What is Real Event OCD?

  – 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

What is Exposure Response Prevention?

      – 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

The Surprising Difference Between Intrusive vs. Impulsive Thoughts

– 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

No, You’re Actually Not “So OCD”

  – 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

Sexual Orientation OCD (SO-OCD)

Sexual Orientation OCD (SO-OCD) Sexual Orientation Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (SO-OCD) is a sub-type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). When OCD is mentioned, most people think of excessive hand-washing due to fear of germs and counting prior to completing an action to prevent a dreadful situation (usually irrational). However, OCD does not discriminate; it latches onto anything the individual values. Women are slightly … Read More

Thought Fusion: How to Adapt

Our brains quite simply put are impressive. Billons of neurons firing, keeping our bodies functioning automatically while our minds are freed up to do any additional heavy lifting. Such as planning, predicting, categorizing, basically preparing for a plethora of situations that may or may not arise. The power of the brain is an effective tool, but not totally infallible. We’re … Read More

Positive Affirmations and OCD

  As a clinician 8 years removed from graduate school, I have encouraged, and more than likely, annoyed a lot of people with the concept of affirmations. Positive affirmations to be precise. Because, honestly, what’s not to love about encouraging ourselves, reminding ourselves that we are capable, resilient, and worthy of love! Well, if those already are difficult words to … Read More

OCD and Anger

by Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC 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 and experiencing them on a daily can cause an individual to feel that they are inherently immoral or are likely to end up committing an immoral act. Individuals will … Read More