Ryan Schuster, PsyD
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CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
What is OCD?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is often misunderstood and minimized by popular culture. We often hear people say “I’m so OCD,” as if it were a badge of honor. This incorrectly assumes that OCD is simply about perfectionism and rigidity. Most people with OCD are anxiously struggling with repetitive, intrusive and unwanted thoughts and urges. They try to lessen their suffering by engaging in behavioral and mental compulsions that slowly strip away meaning and purpose from life. They often feel ashamed about the content of their intrusive thoughts, as if it accurately reflects an unconscious desire to act on something that is unacceptable. OCD attacks what is most valued in our life. This explains why another person’s OCD can seem “easier” or “less triggering” to confront.
How do I treat OCD?
My clients usually avoid seeking professional help until their suffering outweighs their fear of treatment. Effective OCD treatment is challenging, as with most endeavors and accomplishments we are proud of. Fortunately, evidence-based approaches to OCD have been quite effective at helping people return to having a meaningful life. Part of this involves confronting the feared experience through real or imaginal exposures. These exposures often help us habituate to the stressor, but also help us learn alternative ways of viewing the experience. They teach us that obsessional fears are more tolerable than previously predicted and that our internal experience is not inherently dangerous. Since OCD often attacks what is most meaningful in our life, I put great emphasis on identifying and developing the values and behaviors that embody a life that isn’t defined by OCD.