Managing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) So It Doesn't Manage You!

By: Michael D. Soderstrom 03/25/2012

How does someone with OCD manage their obsessions and compulsions?  The answer would appear to be commonsense, right?  Just quit worrying, stop performing compulsions (rituals), or maybe distract oneself so you think about something else.  The more a person focuses away from the obsession (fear), the less it will affect that person in the future, right?  Actually, these methods not only don't work to reduce the fear, they tend to make the fear and the resulting behaviors significantly worse.  The most effective behavioral treatment for OCD turns out to be quite counterintuitive and strange for most people visiting my office for the first time.  Individuals with OCD must learn to correct their cognitive-distortions by practicing different ways of thinking about what they fear.  Clients in my office also learn to slowly confront their fears and worries by performing "experiments" during the week to test the reality of their fear.  After several weekly sessions clients can learn to be comfortable and relaxed in situations that were terrifying in the past.  Recent scientific research has shown this treatment to be very effective in reducing obsessions and compulsions by as much as 60-80%.  Based on decades of scientific research and clinical refinement, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) using the techniques of exposure and response prevention has helped countless individuals with OCD overcome debilitating symptoms and live fuller, happier, and more satisfying lives. If you suffer from OCD, please find a therapist today using these highly succsessful OCD therapy techniques. This is your chance to start your life all over again, the right way!