Anxiety Series - Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Our Hosts:

• YOLANDI RAUSE, MS, LCMHC - Counselor
  • As a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Associate, Yolandi has a heart for students and young adults. She has experience in the school system, working alongside families and educators by compassionately processing life's hardships and moving towards holistic healing and growth.
• STEVEN PRICE, MA, LCMHC - Counselor
  • Steven is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor committed to understanding each person's story. Steven seeks to engage in past memories of struggle and pain to make sense of the whole person and work towards healing individually and in relationships. Steven has experience in many therapy areas, but he also offers to coach as life has many transitions and sometimes hard changes.
  • CATHERINE SAUNDERS, MA, LCMHCA - Counselor
    • Catherine is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate who deeply enjoys walking beside those on their path to personal and spiritual growth. She has a passion for helping others set and attain realistic goals to conquer the ever-changing obstacles of life. Catherine uses an integrative approach to tailor therapy to the strengths of each client to meet them where they currently are. Catherine’s areas of experience include depression, anxiety, grief/loss, life transitions, and identity.

In today's episode:  

• OCD is a brain-based mental health disorder that involves obsessions and compulsions.
• There are scientific differences in the brain of people with OCD. It's important for people with OCD to know that it is not their fault, or a result of anything they have done.
• An obsession is an unwanted, intrusive thought, feeling, sensation, or urge that is repetitive and induces a significant degree of anxiety, uncertainty, doubt, or disgust. 
• Compulsions are physical and mental behaviors that reduce or remove anxiety, uncertainty, or another form of discomfort.
• These obsessions and compulsions are very exhausting and will significantly impact daily functioning and quality of life if we meet the criteria for a diagnosis of OCD.
• We discuss the OC cycle and examples of what it can look like.
• What is pure "O" and does it really exist?
• We list some great resources including: The Self-Compassion Workbook for OCD: Lean into Your Fear, Manage Difficult Emotions, and Focus On Recovery.
• Here is a list of OCD types that we talk about:
  • Contamination
  • Symmetry
  • Sexual Orientation
  • Just right
  • Harm
  • Pedophilia
  • Parinatal
  • Immoral
  • Relationship
  • Emotional Contamination
  • Existential
  • Obsessing about Obsessing 
  • and more...