OCD & Checking: Part 2 (Mental Checking)

On May 4, 2012, in Checking-Related Symptoms, OCD, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

Behavioral Checking (Overt Checking)

Many examples of compulsive checking rituals in OCD involve direct inspection of a target stimulus by sight, sound, or feel.

Common OCD checking behaviors include relocking doors, visually examining the position of one’s parking brake, or holding one’s hands above stove burners in order to detect warmth.

Behavioral checking is often …  (read more)

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Checking & OCD: Part 1 (Checking for Safety)

On April 17, 2012, in Checking-Related Symptoms, OCD, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

Compulsive checking often begins innocently enough. One check here, two checks there…

But OCD’s greed knows no bounds.

What starts out as a simple check “just to make sure” eventually spirals into disabling OCD doubt that can come to predominate innumerable situations and scenarios.

Checking behaviors often emerge in situations in which “being irresponsible” might …  (read more)

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Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) Symptoms

On March 19, 2012, in Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.
Symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a somatoform disorder that closely resembles obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder include excessive concern about perceived physical flaws, defects, or imperfections.

Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder become obsessed with these unwanted aspects of their appearance and perform a variety of …  (read more)

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Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

On March 17, 2012, in Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.
What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)?

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is not formally classified as an anxiety disorder; however, it shares many overlapping features with anxiety disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

In contrast to OCD which typically focuses on specific external feared outcomes, body dysmorphic disorder involves hyper-attention to one or more perceived bodily …  (read more)

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Hit-and-Run OCD

On February 18, 2012, in Checking-Related Symptoms, Harm-Related Symptoms, OCD, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

“Hit and run” OCD involves the fear of accidentally hitting a pedestrian while driving.  In most cases of hit-and-run obsessive-compulsive disorder, fears focus on unintentionally killing, injuring, or maiming a victim.  Other individuals worry about causing car accidents or causing other vehicles to swerve and hit pedestrians.

Fear of Driving

Hit-and-run OCD, or motor …  (read more)

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Treatment of Unwanted Thoughts & Sensations in OCD

On January 18, 2012, in OCD, OCD - General, “Pure-O” Symptoms, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.

In my post about the treatment of sensorimotor OCD, a reader asked about the ultimate goal of treatment. Should the goal of treatment be to never notice an unwanted thought or symptom?

Suppressing Unwanted Thoughts & Sensations in Pure-O & Sensorimotor OCD

Let’s explore this idea in detail. Suppose I adopt the goal of …  (read more)

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Thought Control & OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)

On January 14, 2012, in OCD, OCD - General, “Pure-O” Symptoms, by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D.
OCD & Thought Control

Can I learn to eliminate my OCD thoughts?

I hear this question all the time from new patients who are searching for ways to suppress their unwanted thoughts. When I answer this question with a resounding “no”, there is often much surprise and grief. After all, this is why they’re …  (read more)

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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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