What is OCD?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) consists of a pattern of obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions. Breaking free from intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors can be extremely challenging. However, Stacy offers treatments that work and can help you feel better and improve your mental health.
Do you have OCD?
Are you battling recurring, unwelcome thoughts, images, or urges that leave you uneasy and distressed? When you attempt to suppress these, does it seem like nothing is working? Maybe you feel relief for an instant and then quickly feel more distress? It’s possible you have been in treatment for a long time for anxiety but you’re not getting better.
Sometimes people have a strong suspicion that they have OCD, as it may resemble something they have seen in the movies. Other times symptoms of OCD are sneaky, with no obvious rituals or checking, because that may all occur in your head, and we call these ‘mental compulsions’.
External Compulsions Examples:
Excessive Handwashing or Cleaning
Repeatedly Seeking Reassurance - “Are you sure that raw chicken didn’t touch the counter?”
Checking Behaviors – checking and rechecking if a door is locked or the stove is turned off
Avoidance – not going to places, doing things, or interacting with people that make your distress worse
Mental Compulsions Examples:
Mental Review – replaying a scenario over and over in your head – “Did I just run over something?”
Mental Avoidance – “Just don’t think about it, it’s fine as long as you don’t think about it”.
Rumination – Thinking about something that leads to more thinking but never any real action.
Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy: Treatment that Works for OCD
Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP) is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that is effective in treating OCD. Using ERP, Stacy will gradually expose you to the troubling situations or stimuli that are causing you discomfort, so you learn to tolerate the discomfort without resorting to compulsions. Although ERP is hard work, it is very effective. Stacy will work with you at your own pace, until the strength of the compulsion is decreased and you are able to tolerate and manage your anxiety. Stacy uses an easygoing approach and a sense of humor to make a hard thing more tolerable.
Examples of ERP include:
Writing down various words for vomit, looking at photos of vomit, going to restaurants you fear may make you sick
Singing the thing you’re stressed out about - “I may or may not be a horrible person, la la la”
If you find yourself reviewing your last social interaction over and over– say ‘CUT!’ – like a movie scene, and then go back to what you are doing.
Exposure therapy takes a lot of practice and hard work but it’s very effective! So many clients wish they had started exposure therapy sooner, since they are able to quickly find results!
Virtual Treatment:
Stacy offers virtual treatment for OCD using a secure zoom platform. Using remote virtual treatment, Stacy can assist you directly in situations either within your home or out in public (ie. using public transportation), wherever you have been experiencing distress. These exercises teach you how to resist engaging in the compulsive rituals that you have been using (unsuccessfully) to try to reduce anxiety. You’ll practice situations in the places where you often get stuck, learning how to manage your anxiety more effectively.
Why work with Stacy Babbitt?
At Stacy Babbitt Therapy, the goal is to help you overcome obstacles that significantly impact your life. Stacy understands that OCD can be very painful, and impact your life in multiple ways. She’ll take the time to understand how OCD is working in YOUR life, and together you will design a plan that makes sense for you and targets your specific obsessions and compulsions.
Clients often find themselves laughing and processing feelings in ways that feels gratifying and safe. Stacy prides herself on developing really wonderful relationships with clients, so you will feel comfortable and confident in the process of therapy as you learn to overcome your OCD.