Reassurance Seeking in OCD

On January 7, 2012, in Contamination/Health-Related Symptoms, OCD, OCD - General, “Pure-O” Symptoms, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

Although contamination OCD and washing rituals often go hand-in-hand, many rituals in this domain do not actually involve cleaning or disinfecting. These more subtle rituals are often based around reassurance seeking behaviors that become ingrained in everyday habit. In the context of exposure and response prevention (ERP), reassurance seeking OCD rituals are just as …  (read more)

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OCD & Contamination: Washing & Cleaning Compulsions/Rituals

On December 16, 2011, in Contamination/Health-Related Symptoms, OCD, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

OCD: Common Compulsions

In my last post about OCD, I discussed reasons why people do rituals. This time, I’ll identify specific rituals that are common in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) characterized by a fear of germs, contamination, diseases, and other health-related ills.

OCD: Hand-washing Rituals/Compulsions

Hand-washing is a very common ritual and typically involves prolonged …  (read more)

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OCD & Contamination: Reasons Why People Do Rituals/Compulsions

On December 15, 2011, in Contamination/Health-Related Symptoms, OCD, OCD - General, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

In my last post, I identified several idiosyncratic feared outcomes in OCD that are associated with contamination/health-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Obsessions are intrusive, recurrent, and distressing thoughts, impulses, or images related to these feared outcomes. Today, I’ll discuss the function of compulsions.

Why do people with OCD do rituals?

Compulsions, or rituals, are the …  (read more)

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OCD & Contamination Fears: Feared Outcomes (Example: HIV/AIDS)

On December 12, 2011, in Contamination/Health-Related Symptoms, OCD, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

In my last post, I identified several types of obsessions that are associated with contamination/health-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). These include the fear of:

  • Germs and getting sick.
  • Making others sick.
  • Developing an incurable illness in the future.
  • Experiencing extreme and uncontrollable disgust or distress.
  • Other unwanted negative outcomes related to the spread of germs, contaminants,

    • …  (read more)

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Contamination & Health-related OCD: Obsessions, Fears, & Worries

On December 10, 2011, in Contamination/Health-Related Symptoms, OCD, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

What are common obsessions in contamination/disease/illness/health-focused OCD?

OCD: Fear of Getting Sick

Contamination- or health-related OCD is associated with persistent worries about one’s health or the health of loved ones. Common obsessions in contamination-related OCD include the fear of getting sick with a serious illness like rabies, ebola, H1N1 (swine flu), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, mad cow …  (read more)

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OCD Triggers in Daily Life? Don’t Ritualize. Be Strategic! 3 Tips for Fighting OCD.

On November 20, 2011, in ERP, OCD, OCD - Treatment, “Pure-O” Symptoms, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

Question: I know about ERP, and I understand that OCD symptoms can be reduced by resisting rituals and then habituating to the anxiety brought on by obsessive thoughts. However…what if an obsessional thought requires no ritual? Confused!

Great question. I think that in all cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), there is some type of ongoing …  (read more)

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