Coping with Postpartum OCD: How ERP Can Help

Welcoming a new baby into the world is both exciting and challenging. However, for some new parents, the postpartum period can also bring unexpected anxiety and distressing intrusive thoughts. This experience, known as postpartum OCD, can be overwhelming and isolating. Postpartum OCD is a specific subtype of OCD that affects new parents, typically within the […]

The Role of Stress in OCD

It’s not uncommon for people with OCD to start noticing the role stress plays in exacerbating their symptoms. When talking about a recent uptick in OCD,  people will often report noticing specific stressors, such as an increase in  work stress, greater demand on their time and energy from others, and  possibly discord with friends or […]

Acceptance of OCD

Accepting OCD as part of one’s life is often a challenging part of treatment, but a  necessary one. Acceptance does not mean you like something. It is absolutely valid  and expected to hate having OCD. There will be times when you have feel angry. There  will also be times when you feel life dealt you […]

The Importance of Self-Compassion in the Treatment of OCD

There are many outcomes to practicing self-compassion that we can all reap the  benefits from including decreased feelings of anxiety and depression. However, I  have specifically found that starting a self-compassion practice is a vital part of the  OCD treatment process. Practicing self-compassion can help people with OCD  better manage their feelings of guilt and […]

Understanding Mental Compulsions in OCD

What is the difference between an automatic intrusive thought and the act of thinking? Understanding the difference is a key part in understanding the treatment of OCD. What many people consider “obsessing” is actually a compulsion called rumination.  An automatic intrusive thought is something you don’t have control over. All humans have automatic thoughts. For […]

The Ruse of Perfectionism

There has been a rise in the drive towards perfectionism for the past many decades. One of the main culprits, unsurprisingly, is our obsession with social media which allows us to stay in a constant state of comparing ourselves to others. But certain disorders, such as anxiety and OCD, have a strong link to perfectionistic […]

Reassurance-Seeking as a Compulsion in OCD

Reassurance-seeking differs from information-seeking as it is a compulsion that will keep you stuck in the OCD loop. Reassurance-seeking is done with the intention to lessen your anxiety/distress and to seek a specific answer that will provide you reassurance of what you fear. When you want reassurance, you repeatedly ask questions that are often unanswerable, […]

Do You Have Tendencies Toward Over-Responsibility?

When you are acting responsibly you are taking ownership, getting things done, and living up to your word. It can be challenging to understand the distinction between being a responsible person vs. being over-responsible. Many individuals find people who are highly responsible as more empathetic and kind, which can reinforce one’s tendency towards over-responsibility. When […]