The following is based in part on an excerpt from our book Obsessive Compulsive Disorder For Dummies. We’ve added a little discussion as well. …
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Maven
2:52 am on
March 12th, 2009I have SEVERE OCD. I don’t think I’m too impaired in distinguishing what’s moderate vs. what’s extreme: However, it’s not exactly germs that I fear. I don’t want to touch them, and I certainly don’t want to get sick, but I’m not so much afraid that I’ll get sick; I don’t touch things and worry I’ll come down with MRSA or something like that. I do worry about colds somewhat, because I HATE colds and it makes my OCD and panic disorder worse. But in general, I’m not worried I’ll get sick, which may be what’s making my OCD so difficult to treat. I just can’t stand the feeling of being “dirty” (that’s not the right word, but I don’t know a word that really describes what I feel when I get that feeling), and it doesn’t go away with time, only washing and rituals.
But my point is, I KNOW I’m extreme; I’m not confused about that. I don’t think my feelings are rational, but I can’t make the thoughts (or, more accurately, the feelings) go away until I do my rituals. It’s taken over my life, so that I don’t really have a life anymore. I’m not getting the help I need. The meds are not doing much, and the OCD controls me in even the tiniest of ways sometimes.
The fact that you “know” that the feelings aren’t rational is actually good. But, that’s usually not enough. You really want to see someone who is an expert in OCD, but for therapy, not just meds. I recommend you look at http://www.abct.org or http://www.academyofct.org If those sites don’t list someone near you, consider contacting a local University. Many therapists either don’t treat OCD or at least are not expert in it. You need someone who really knows OCD–perhaps specializing in its treatment.
The most promising therapies right now are cognitive behavior therapy (especially so-called exposure and response prevention given by someone who knows what they’re doing), cognitive therapy specifically tailored to OCD, and possibly mindfulness based approaches. The most reliable approach with the most research backing right now is exposure and response prevention.
You can get a little idea what it’s all about by going to this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPFQMRx2l3Y It’s a brief clip that includes a depiction of exposure and response prevention. Trust me, it’s not nearly as bad as most people fear it will be!
Good luck!
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