Understanding the OCD Cycle

OCD is typically characterized by two main components that feed into each other:

1. Obsessions (The Thoughts) These are repeated, persistent, and unwanted thoughts, urges, or images that are intrusive and cause distress or anxiety. You might try to ignore them, but they keep coming back.

• Common Themes: Fear of germs or contamination, unwanted forbidden or taboo thoughts (aggressive, sexual, religious), need for symmetry, or intense doubt (e.g., "Did I lock the door?").
   

2. Compulsions (The Behaviors) These are repetitive behaviors or mental acts that you feel driven to perform in response to an obsession. The goal of these rituals is to prevent a feared outcome or reduce anxiety. However, this relief is only temporary, reinforcing the cycle.

• Common Behaviors: Excessive cleaning/handwashing, ordering and arranging things in a precise way, repeatedly checking things (locks, stove), or compulsive counting.
   

OCD vs. Perfectionism

It is important to distinguish OCD from perfectionism. A perfectionist may enjoy having their desk organized or their house spotless, it gives them a sense of satisfaction.

Someone with OCD does not derive pleasure from these behaviors; they perform them out of fear or a feeling that they "have to" in order to prevent something bad from happening.
 

How We Diagnose & Treat OCD

Diagnosing OCD involves a comprehensive psychological evaluation to discuss your thoughts, feelings, and behavior patterns. Once diagnosed, OCD is highly treatable.

At Suburban Psychiatric Specialists, we use the gold-standard treatments for OCD:
 

Psychotherapy: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

ERP is a specific type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It involves gradually exposing you to your fears (obsessions) in a safe environment and teaching you how to resist the urge to perform your ritual (compulsion). Over time, this breaks the brain's association between the fear and the ritual.
 

Medication Management

Certain psychiatric medications, specifically SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), are effective in helping control the obsessions and compulsions of OCD.
 

Take the First Step

Living with OCD can feel exhausting and isolating, but you are not alone. With the right treatment plan, you can break the cycle and improve your quality of life.