Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and its misconceptions

Many view OCD solely made up of repetitive behaviors that trigger severe anxiety if not acted upon. When in reality, it’s far more complex. A lot of individuals with OCD report having intrusive thoughts, similar to bipolar disorder (which are often misdiagnosed for one another). The video attached to our class lecture of the young girl named Elizabeth who struggles with OCD in a sense where she is hyper fixated on washing her hands and avoiding door handles due to a fear of contamination is just one example of how OCD manifests itself. Her sister made a comment about how Elizabeth constantly says how she wants to die, and this proves my point further that OCD isn’t solely phobias and compulsions, but also a whirlwind of overwhelming dysregulated emotions.

In regards to treating OCD, exposure and prevention response is used for treatment which is basically a combination of flooding and systematic desensitization techniques. These techniques teach the individual how to practice mindfulness in an anxiety inducing moment to relax their mind and body during which could feel like a crisis to them. The exposure aspect of it can feel very overwhelming but is very necessary for treatment, depending on the case. Another excellent way to treat OCD is through CBT and DBT. It teaches the individual the proper skills to cope ahead and also power through their triggers.