OCD Therapy
Has OCD Taken Over Your Life?
Do you feel like you have to repeat thoughts or actions a certain number of times, or until it feels “just right?”
Do you feel like there are things that have to be a certain way to make sure nothing bad happens?
Do distressing thoughts and images flood your mind, causing fear or anxiety?
Is most of your time spent trying to rid yourself of these dark thoughts rather than doing the things you enjoy?
The symptoms of OCD can rob you of so much in life. Most people think of OCD as a disorder of cleaning, or rechecking locks and stoves. While these can be common symptoms of OCD, the signs aren’t always so obvious, which can make it tricky to diagnose. You may:
Worry that you may do something to harm yourself or others, though you don’t want to
Wonder if you’ve done something wrong and search your memory repeatedly for signs you have (or confess that you think you might have done something wrong)
Feel strongly that certain numbers, words, or phrases are “good” and have to be repeated, or “bad” and must be avoided
Fear that you are somehow a “bad” or “immoral” person
These are just a few of the ways OCD can show up. But at the core of all OCD symptoms is doubt.
OCD Causes Us To Imagine The Worst And Doubt Ourselves
OCD is more common than you might think. It’s one of the top 10 causes of disability in the United States, impacting millions of people of all ages, races, and genders. It may be caused by genetic or environmental factors. Many people with OCD feel embarrassed or ashamed, but it is not your fault.
While most people experience unwanted thoughts or urges at times, for most of us, they are so fleeting and easily dismissed that we can usually ignore or forget about them. However, for those with OCD, these unwanted thoughts are intrusive and attention-grabbing, causing unbearable worry and rumination.
When we suffer from OCD, we leave the present moment and are transported to a land of worst-case scenarios where we believe that if we don’t take action—whether physical or mental—terrible things will happen. We doubt ourselves and question our senses and memories. We believe we’d better be “safe” and listen to OCD than “sorry” if we don’t. This doubt causes us to repeat actions or look for constant reassurance—and so the OCD loop continues.
OCD Could Be Causing Friction In Your Relationships
Chances are, OCD is impacting your relationships. People with OCD often require those around them to follow certain rules or guidelines about how things should be done. Even if you are not asking others to participate in your routines, it’s likely that your compulsions are impacting your relationships by taking your time and energy or impacting your mood.
You probably feel alone and misunderstood by loved ones and wish there was a way to avoid the conflict and emotional distress brought about by your symptoms.
More than anything, you may wish you could regain control of your thoughts and actions and stop worrying about all the outcomes you fear. You just want to live your life free from the torment of OCD.
The good news is that OCD therapy can help you break free from the symptoms that are keeping you stuck. With the right treatment, OCD symptoms can be diminished so you can engage in life on your own terms.
OCD Thinking May Keep Us From Seeking Treatment
The reason we may struggle to overcome OCD relates to how convincing OCD can be. OCD sucks us into its twisted logic, convincing us that we must listen and follow its rules “or else…” Cruelly, OCD often creates fear around what we value most. Even when we know the rules don’t make sense, it doesn’t feel worth the risk to go against them.
Fortunately, we now have effective treatments for OCD. Utilizing Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) or Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), you can learn how to reduce anxiety so that habits and rituals are no longer necessary.
Therapy Can Help Free Your Mind From OCD
If you’ve previously tried traditional talk therapy for OCD, you may have been disappointed that it didn’t really help you.
With specialized therapy, you can rest assured that the path we take for treatment will be evidence-based and effective for the management of OCD. In counseling, you will have a safe and non-judgmental space to discuss how OCD affects you. With a better understanding of how OCD works, you can learn the tools to help take back control of your life so it no longer feels like OCD is running the show.
What To Expect In OCD Counseling Sessions
The first step of OCD therapy is to understand what the problem is. Identifying what your symptoms are and exploring how OCD negatively impacts your life will help us create meaningful goals for treatment. Additionally, we will determine what factors may be contributing to your symptoms. With this understanding, we can then discuss what your best treatment options will be based on your unique needs and preferences.
In ongoing sessions, we will work toward your goals by utilizing a combination of psychoeducation and providing you with helpful tools to manage symptoms. In-session exercises and homework assignments will focus on learning ways to decrease your symptoms. I will routinely check in with you to ensure we’re making progress. The goal will be to equip you with the tools you need to keep OCD in check long after therapy is over.
Why Choose OCD Therapy With Dr. Ehrin Weiss?
Because treatment for OCD is highly specialized, not all providers are trained in treating it. When it comes to OCD treatment, most therapists with training in OCD treatment offer only one modality, usually Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). As a therapist who specializes in OCD, I am happy to provide you with a choice of approaches. The primary two I recommend are ERP and Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT).
ERP is considered to be the “gold standard” for OCD treatment. Using exposure techniques, ERP involves learning to deal with OCD triggers without engaging in compulsions.
I-CBT is a cutting-edge treatment for OCD that does not focus on exposure.[5] Rather than looking at the OCD behavior, I-CBT explores the reasoning process behind the behavior or compulsion. By getting to the root of your doubt and offering some certainty in its place, I-CBT aims to resolve doubt, the mindset where OCD thrives. Although lesser known than ERP, I-CBT is an effective approach to OCD that some patients find more helpful than ERP.
Additionally, I often incorporate methods from other therapeutic approaches such as mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and TEAM-CBT when appropriate.
Receiving effective treatment means that OCD doesn’t have to run your life anymore. With therapy, you can break free from the OCD cycle and take your life back.
But Maybe You Still Wonder Whether OCD Therapy Is Right For You…
During OCD treatment, will I have to do things I’m afraid of or uncomfortable with?
Ultimately, the goal of treatment is to help you do the things OCD prevents you from doing, or, conversely, stop the unwanted behaviors OCD compels you to do. Some approaches, like ERP, involve exposing you to your fears more directly than others. The approach we take will be up to you once we’ve discussed the options. Together, we can formulate a treatment plan you feel the most comfortable with. I will then guide you through enacting that plan.
I’ve already been in therapy for my Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and it didn’t help. How will OCD therapy with you be different?
Although we have effective therapies for OCD, it can take years and several therapists before receiving the correct diagnosis and treatment. In fact, traditional talk therapy can make OCD worse by encouraging you to overanalyze your obsessions. Unlike many providers, I use a variety of evidence-based approaches that have been proven to be effective for OCD so you will have options to choose the approach that will work best for you.
How long will OCD therapy take and how much will it cost?
Although treatment length can be hard to predict, most therapies for OCD are designed to take 12-20 sessions to complete. Some people may need more or less time, depending on their unique circumstances. And although deciding to seek therapy for OCD is a commitment of time and money, so is continuing to live with OCD. Your symptoms can take hours out of every day and drain you of energy to do what you enjoy. If OCD makes you less productive, that will ultimately wind up costing you money as well.
Break Out Of The Loop Of OCD
Life is too short to allow OCD to waste any more of your valuable time. To find out more about OCD therapy with me, please visit my contact page to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. If you have any questions, please feel free to call (713) 702-3770.
I am licensed to practice in any PsyPact-affiliated state. To find out if your state participates in PsyPact, click here .
