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Is My Neatness Really OCD?

Is My Neatness Actually OCD?

It can he hard to tell if being neat, tidy or a “neat-freak” is just a personal quirk or personal preference or something more difficult, like Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (or OCD). How can you tell the difference? Here is how to differentiate general neatness from OCD: Being neat or tidy is not in response to feelings of high anxiety or having intrusive thoughts. In true OCD, the neatness is not something that you do because it feels good to be ordered or have a clean room, but it’s a response to other things. Usually it’s a response to feelings of high anxiety, and cleaning up or ordering the things on your desk acts as a counter to the anxiety. The other common OCD-related response is intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts are thoughts unrelated to reality that enter your mind and are hard to shake. They are usually thoughts about really bad things happening, such as getting into a car accident or having a family member become sick. Sometimes in response to these thoughts, cleaning up, ordering things or re-arranging things makes these thoughts go away, and this is related to OCD rather than just being an organized person. The neatness is not a ritual that you feel compelled to do over and over again. In OCD, being neat is not an end in itself, it becomes a ritual that you complete over and over. For example, someone may feel that they need to re-order their sock drawer before they leave their room. If someone is truly just a neat and tidy person, they may tidy up and then don’t need to do it again until it becomes messy. In OCD, you can’t stop cleaning up in the middle of it, you have to finish. In true OCD, the cleaning or tidying up become more of a soothing ritual, and so you will finish it even if you’re interrupted or need to go do something else. Whereas with regular cleaning, you can stop and then pick it up again. You can always get an expert option on if you have OCD. If you’re still unsure, or want a second opinion, you can always call a counselor and have an evaluation done. At Thrive Counseling, we offer a free consultation and are happy to talk this over with you. Contact Us if you ever want to talk. If you want to learn more about therapy for OCD, check out our OCD Therapy page.  

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Denver Therapist and Counselor for OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

3 signs you may have OCD

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is a relatively common mental health issue that affect 2-3% of the population. OCD is often difficult to differentiate between simply being very tidy, very organized, or having a perfectionistic personality. While it can be a challenge to be someone who gets upset at a cluttered home, having Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a more serious problem. If you think you may have OCD, o know someone with OCD, here are three strong signs that you may struggle with this issue. 1. You Have Unsettling, Intrusive Thoughts About Bad Things Happening Intrusive thoughts are a main criteria for OCD. These are particularly alarming thoughts that are intrusive in nature-meaning, they appear out of nowhere, or they can sometimes seem like your brain is “hijacked” into imagining scary things. These thoughts revolved around bad things happening to yourself or someone you love, or even sometimes to a stranger. For example, you might be working on a project at work and all of the sudden you have a scene in your head of getting into a car accident. These thoughts, while irrational and unconnected to your present experience, feel very real and impending. These are the kind of thoughts that make you sweat. They feel really real, as if this thing is bound to happen. 2. You have an urge to do a ritual to stop this bad thing from happening The rituals in OCD are a response to the intrusive thought. An OCD ritual is a behavior that you feel compelled to do because of the intrusive thought. You feel as if you do not complete this ritual, the bad thing will absolutely happen. Here are some common OCD rituals: Checking doors, locks, and switches multiple times-even if you just checked them Stepping on a particular area of the floor-or avoiding a certain area of the floor Pushing a button a certain number of times, even if it takes more time than necessary Saying a certain word or phrase Touching something a certain amount of times before you can “move on” and leave the object behind An important thing to remember about OCD rituals is that they usually have to be “completed.” This means that if you’re interrupted for some reason, you feel the need to start over, as if it did not count to ward off the bad thing from your intrusive thought. I’ve personally worked with clients who could spend up to an hour trying to get a ritual “right” because they were interrupted. 3. You Can’t Stop Doing the Rituals-No Matter How Hard You Try OCD is by its nature compulsive. You feel compelled to engage in the rituals and you can’t control your intrusive thoughts. It’s not a choice, it’s a mental health issue. Don’t feel shame around OCD. OCD it very treatable; usually a combination of medication and counseling can control symptoms or make them go away completely. Counseling involved identifying intrusive thoughts and rituals, and slowly building up coping tools so that you can slow down the rituals and eventually stop. If you think you may have OCD, you can call a counselor or therapist who treats OCD and get their opinion. If you think you might have OCD, call Thrive Counseling to get an expert opinion. For more information about how therapy for OCD helps, go to our OCD Therapy page.

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3 Types of OCD Therapy to Be Aware Of

Mental illness can come in many different forms. Mental illness may have a small impact on someone’s life to all the way up to a life-altering and crippling mental condition. Of the various forms of mental illness across the country, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is often one of the least understood conditions that can impact peoples’ lives in a big way. OCD can grind the sufferer’s quality of life down as the obsessions and compulsions take over every facet of their day-to-day life, but luckily OCD sufferers can get some help. To cut through some of the misinformation about OCD, let’s look at some of the more common OCD therapies. 3 Types of OCD Therapy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy The most common form of counseling for OCD therapy comes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT.) CBT therapy analyzes behaviors and actions and gives you tools to change the way you think and behave. This is helpful to OCD sufferers who need help in learning how to address their obsessions and compulsions in a positive manner. CBT has been used for several years and has proven successful. CBT can be performed by a certified counselor, through an outpatient program, and through “day camp” intensive programs. CBT coupled with medication is the most popular form of OCD therapy in the United States. In-Patient Therapy/Residential For more serious cases of OCD, in-patient treatment may be recommended. In in-patient therapy, patients will work with counselors and professionals in a variety of therapies including CBT, one-on-one counseling, group therapy, medication, and more, all under the watchful eyes and safe confines of a mental health facility. This has been proven effective for OCD sufferers who can’t seem to get better with common therapy or outpatient programs. Drastic Options In very rare cases, more drastic options may be taken for OCD that is resistant to typical forms of therapy. In the absolute worst cases of OCD, doctors may recommend deep brain stimulation, a gamma knife procedure, and even brain surgery. Again, these forms of treatments are only for severe cases of OCD that aren’t responding to less invasive methods of treatment. While there are many ways to treat OCD, the most common are CBT therapy, in-patient programs, and invasive treatments when the OCD can’t be licked. If you feel that your condition or the condition of a loved one is impacting your life, make the call to a therapist’s office to start getting the help needed today.

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Is this too OCD?

Do I Need Counseling for OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a form of anxiety that manifests itself in a variety of ways for sufferers. Repeated and unwanted thoughts, ideas, sensations, and behaviors lead people to act out to get over the compulsion driving them. The anxiety that comes from OCD can destroy someone’s ability to live a normal life. Let’s look at some of the background on OCD, why people avoid treatment, and whether you need counseling to overcome obsessive-compulsive disorder. More About OCD On average, about 2.2 million Americans adults suffer from OCD with most symptoms beginning to manifest at a young age. It can appear at any point in life but 1/3 of adults begin experiencing anxiety from it as children. Research also indicates that OCD might run in families, so if your one of your parents experiences it, you might, too. The earlier you begin suffering from OCD, the more of an impact it has if it goes untreated as you get older. Why Do People Avoid OCD Treatment? Since OCD can severely impact the ability to function in school, work or at play, many will try and hide symptoms. The embarrassment associated with OCD can drive those who suffer from it to do whatever it takes to avoid others finding out just how bad it is for them. When someone suffering from OCD sees how others joke about it and how it’s portrayed in entertainment, this leads to additional embarrassment and stigma admitting they have a real issue that needs treatment. Those suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder are often misdiagnosed or concurrently diagnosed with other mental health issues. Often, the OCD is misclassified as a symptom of another issue instead of treated on its own. This can lead to other symptoms being overcome with OCD itself intensified or ignored, leading to even more anxiety for the sufferer. Do You Need Counseling for OCD? If you suffer from OCD, and it’s negatively impacting your life, counseling to overcome OCD is a must to be able to control your compulsions and live a better life. Finding the right counselor is the key to learning how to cope with obsessive-compulsive disorder. There are many types of treatment options out there for OCD, including therapy and medication. Finding the right therapy, coupled with the right treatment options, can help anyone overcome OCD and learn to live life with the disorder.

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