We often categorise everything into black-and-white divisions. It’s easier to suggest that a person is either good or bad, a situation is right or wrong,or something is beautiful or ugly. We do not allow for grey areas or diversity. Our cognitive schemas organise information into categories, which is helpful,particularly for retrieving that information. This simplifies…
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental health condition which is caused by a combination of factors- biological, psychological and social factors. OCD may run in families and can be inherited. Certain infections can cause it. The personality of the person and their coping mechanism to stress also play a role in the expression of OCD. OCD…
Is OCD curable? OCD is a lifelong condition and follows periods of remission and relapse. Sometimes, stress can trigger an episode of OCD. Medications are sometimes required in the long term to control symptoms reasonably. With modern treatment options, OCD can be kept under control in the long term. How can I stop OCD?…
Can I cure OCD with diet? Some research suggests that a diet that is low in glutamate can help with symptoms of OCD.You must consult with your psychiatrist to get advice regarding this. Can caffeine help OCD? Some studies have shown that moderate coffee intake can reduce symptoms of OCD. But as with any…
What is cognitive Behavioural therapy? Cognitive behaviour therapy (also known as CBT) was a talk therapy founded by a psychiatrist, Aaron Beck, in 1960. CBT is widely used in the treatment of mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, OCD and addiction disorders. It is time-limited and usually requires you to see your psychiatrist…
You might have read in the introduction that CBT was invented by a psychiatrist known as Aaron Beck in 1960. It is widely used in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, OCD, etc. In this blog series, you will learn about self-help CBT techniques for OCD. This is also available as a Kindle and hard…
What is the term EXPOSURE in CBT? Exposure is typically the opposite of avoidance. Exposure is when you face the distressing obsessive thought deliberately and avoid the compulsion. This can be done in vivo or imaginal. For example., if you are highly distressed about touching door knobs (due to concerns of contamination), deliberately increase the…
How do obsessive thoughts lead to compulsion? When there is an obsessive thought, it comes as a distressing image, doubt, lack of certainty, or an urge. Suppose there is an obsessive intrusive thought of an image of someone you love a lot covered with blood, what will be the ensuing reactions? You would start feeling…
The following three elements of inhibitory learning include surprise, combining fear cues and variety. Considering the third element, surprise, this works when the outcome of an exposure and feared belief are hugely mismatched. For example., if one has an obsessive fear that someone will break into their house if they do not repeatedly check the…
An example of how you can start situational exposure. Situational exposure, in contrast to imaginal exposure, is what you do practically. A combination of both types will work best. However, some cues may not be possible to do it practically. Hence, imaginal exposure will be more suited. The first step to starting ERP therapy is…
