OCD Therapy Going Nowhere?

Although any medical doctor can take your blood pressure, only a few can do heart surgery. Likewise, any therapist can help someone who is feeling a bit blue, but only a few can effectively treat OCD. OCD treatment is a type of therapy that requires a specialized protocol called Exposure and Ritual Prevention (ERP or EX/RP). Learn about the Top Mistakes Made by OCD Therapists.

Top Seven Myths About OCD

One stereotype is that people with OCD are neat and tidy to a fault. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. Although many people with OCD wash because they are concerned about dirt and germs, being tidy is actually not a typical symptom of the disorder. Almost two-thirds of people with OCD are also hoarders... Learn more about the Top Myths about OCD.

Homosexual Fears in OCD

Sexuality Concerns in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

There are many people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who have sexual obsessions surrounding homosexuality. Homosexuality anxiety is a recognized symptom of OCD, sometimes referred to as "HOCD."

HOCD includes the following:

  • the obsessive fear of being or becoming homosexual
  • the experience of intrusive, unwanted mental images of homosexual behavior, and/or
  • the obsessive fear that others may believe one is homosexual.

A person may have only one of these facets of the disorder or a combination. Learn more about sexual obsessions in OCD.

Take The OCD Self Test

The OCI-R is a short, reliable, scientific test of common obsessive-compulsive symptoms. This measure was developed by OCD experts. Take our OCD Self Test.

About Compulsive Tics Disorders

Compulsive Tics

People with chronic tic disorders including Tourette Syndrome have strong, unwanted urges to repeatedly make sudden, stereotyped movements or sounds. Tics can be brief, meaningless sounds or movements, or more complex, seemingly organized series of actions. Tic frequency may increase due to stress, tiredness, and changes in emotions. Tics may cause substantial life distress or disruption in role functioning, and often co-occur with other problems such as anxiety, depression, and attentional difficulties. Short-term cognitive behavioral therapy for adults, adolescents, and children with chronic tic disorders is offered through the center.

Description

Chronic Tic Disorders are characterized by the presence of either involuntary motor or vocal tics. The tic(s) occur several times a day, nearly every day or intermittently for a period of more than a year and never less than 3 months with an onset before the age of 18. When multiple motor tics and at least one verbal tic are simultaneously present, the diagnosis is known as Tourette's syndrome.

Symptoms

Motor tics are involuntary and sudden body movements. Simple rapid movements, resembling a body spasm, are termed simple motor tics such as eye blinking, head jerks, and facial grimace. Complex motor tics are a series of intricate, seemingly organized sequence of movements (i.e. jumping, skipping, smelling objects, a string of movements). Verbal or phonic tics are involuntary, sudden vocalizations and classified in a similar manner. Simple verbal tics are short sporadic sounds (i.e. clicks, sniffs, coughs) whereas complex verbal tic are longer elaborate vocalization (i.e. barking, changes in pitch or tone, cursing).

Treatment

Medications are often used to manage tic symptoms, and can include the use of typical and atypical neuroleptics (e.g., haldol, risperidone). Further, family therapy and psychotherapy are also commonly employed to help cope with the social and adjustment issues associated with these disorders. The best studied psychological treatment for Chronic Tic Disorders is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy known as Habit Reversal Therapy (HRT), which has been found to be better than comparison treatments in several studies conducted around the country. Treatment of tic disorders and their associated problems often involves a multi-component approach (e.g., pharmacotherapy plus CBT).

The best treatment is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy known as Habit Reversal Therapy (HRT) to treat Chronic Tic Disorders including Tourette's syndrome. The efficacy of this treatment has been shown in several adult and teen studies.