17 Barclay Street, Suite A
Newtown, PA 18940
What is OCD? Very few people understand what it is or how it impacts someone struggling with it. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by scary thoughts that won’t go away unless you perform a ritual. These thoughts can make people feel crazy and damaged. However, there’s hope for a better life.
We’re not sure what causes OCD. Research shows it’s due to some combination of three key factors:
OCD usually starts out as a way to cope with anxiety. Rituals are a quick and basic way to make anxiety go away.
At first, doing rituals gives you a sense of control and peace which further reinforces doing the ritual again. Initially, it doesn’t take much time to do a ritual. It’s not a big deal to wash your hands again or say a quick prayer. No one seeks therapy for a behavior that makes them feel better and only takes an extra couple of minutes.
The more comfort you feel after a ritual, the more you buy into the idea of doing whatever it takes to make the fear go away.
You realize your thoughts are irrational. However, the fear and anxiety they cause feel so real, that you’re willing to do anything for a moment of peace. This includes researching, asking for reassurance, checking, and repeating any behaviors that make you feel calmer and like you’ve answered any doubts your brain has.
Eventually, the thoughts become so large and threatening that it takes significant effort to calm the anxiety they cause. Rituals become complicated and take up a lot of time. They may even stop working regardless of how often you do them.
This is how people wind up showering for 8 hours, making sure the door is locked 20-30 times every time they leave the house, asking for reassurance from family for days, or rewriting one sentence repeatedly for an hour.
OCD is made up of two key parts. They depend on each other to make you anxious, perform rituals, and keep you afraid.
A lesser known form of OCD is called Pure Obsessional OCD, often referred to as “Pure O.” People report obsessions but do not have observable compulsions.
These obsessions often take the form of intrusive thoughts or mental images of committing an act they consider amoral, dangerous, or inappropriate.
After further assessment, these people report that they actually do engage in reassurance-seeking, avoidance behavior, or mental compulsions.
Common examples of mental rituals include:
Compared to traditional talk therapy, research-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is significantly more effective for treating OCD.
The approach is based on giving you the information and strategies you need to manage the threatening thoughts instead of giving in to them.
We constantly work together on how to challenge thoughts and introduce new behaviors. This helps you learn to manage OCD symptoms.
Although OCD results in anxiety, it is unique and requires a specific approach. You can’t use logic to work through OCD the way you would with other anxiety disorders.
Treating OCD like other anxiety disorders can actually make it worse.
Using logic, reasoning, and proof only makes the obsessions worse.
They provide short term relief, but it’s only a matter of time before the obsession pops up again looking for more proof.
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy specifically for OCD.
We begin by developing a detailed understanding of your triggers, thoughts, and responses.
This leaves us with a map or blueprint of your specific OCD. As a result, we can focus all of our efforts where it counts the most.
Effective treatment for OCD is made up of two core pieces:
The goal is for you to become desensitized to thoughts and fears that previously bothered you.
Obsessions that terrorized you now can actually become boring.
Once your brain isn’t scared, you don’t have to do rituals to get reassurance or relief.
OCD really can be managed.
These techniques will make you an expert on your OCD and support your happiness and well-being for years to come.
You’re likely going to spend a lot of time looking for information on line and asking others for reassurance to make sure you’re not going crazy. At some point, you’ll realize that you may have OCD.
Please contact us to set up an appointment.
We can help give you information, a map for next steps, and hope that you can have the life you want.
Wishing you the best,
Dr. Levy
Director
Dr. Ronit Levy is a clinical psychologist and director of Bucks County Anxiety Center in Newtown, PA. She specializes in treating teens and adults struggling with anxiety due to Anxiety Disorders, OCD, chronic illness, and life events. Dr. Levy trains and supervises other therapists and presents on mental health in the community.
About Us
The therapists who practice at Bucks County Anxiety Center work with teens (ages 14 and up) and adults struggling with anxiety and OCD.
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