Anxiety Therapy Orlando: A Guide to Understanding and Overcoming OCD
Anxiety Therapy Orlando: A Guide to Understanding and Overcoming OCD
Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC
How often have you heard someone say, "Oh, I'm so OCD," or make a joke about OCD while dismissing the serious issues it causes? Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a complex mental health condition. Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder involves much more than being too neat or liking things done the exact way. People with OCD are trapped in a loop of repetitive thoughts and behaviors over which they believe they have no control. The really bad part is that most people with OCD are aware that their fears are irrational, but they believe they have no control over them. OCD rituals can consume a lot of time and significantly disrupt a person’s daily life. So, it’s important to keep in mind that OCD is more than just being clean or preferring things done in a specific way. OCD is never a choice. It is a severe disorder that can cause significant distress.
As Anxiety Therapist I understand that with compassionate support and proper treatment, you can take control of your thoughts and behaviors.
Anxiety therapy can provide a safe setting for you to understand your symptoms and their root causes, learn strategies to tackle the symptoms, and find relief.
Symptoms of OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive, intense thoughts that bother you and won't go away (obsessions). Instead, they make you feel like you have to perform certain rituals over and over again (compulsions) to stop those harassing thoughts and make anxiety go away.
However, compulsions do not necessarily follow obsessions. You might experience obsessive thoughts without accompanying compulsive rituals (also referred to as "pure O"). Also, you may feel the urge to repeat specific behaviors or rituals to reduce the general feeling of discomfort rather than in response to a particular obsessive thought. So, you can have only obsessions, only compulsions, or both.
Obsessions
If you have OCD, you know how upsetting it may be to have unwelcome, persistent thoughts all the time. Obsessions are recurrent and persistent thoughts, desires, or images that are never voluntary. Obsessive thoughts are intrusive and unwanted and generate significant discomfort in most people. To try to neutralize or push these thoughts away, you may try to nullify them with various behaviors or mental actions (compulsions).
Obsessions can range from anything like the obsessive fear of catching germs and getting sick to having the fear of blurting out obscenities or other sexually inappropriate things or having intrusive, unwanted sexual fantasies about strangers or having sex in inappropriate places, all of which can cause significant distress and anxiety. The most common obsessions revolve around:
Contamination fears: worry about catching germs and getting sick.
Obsessive perfectionism: an obsessive need for exactness, particular order, or symmetry.
Harmful or forbidden thoughts: experiencing an excruciating fear of hurting yourself or others.
Reassurance-seeking behaviors: repeatedly seeking confirmation or approval from others to alleviate doubts and insecurities.
Compulsions
Compulsions are repetitive physical or mental activities that a person feels compelled to engage in to stop an obsession or lessen the distress it causes. However, compulsive behaviors don't stop the things you're worried about. Instead, they take so much of your time and energy that they disrupt your daily life and harm your health and well-being. While not done for pleasure, compulsions may help some people deal with anxiety and distress.
Common compulsions involve:
Repetitive activities such as cleaning and washing (e.g., washing rituals in response to thoughts of contamination and illness).
Checking and counting (repeatedly checking or counting things until “it feels right”).
Orderliness (arranging items in a precise way, e.g., making sure your towels are folded, your shoes are lined up, or your dishware is arranged in a certain way).
Time-Consuming
OCD's obsessive thoughts, compulsive behaviors, and resulting daily disruptions significantly consume time. If you have OCD, you know how much mental focus obsessive thoughts require, sapping your energy and causing you to lose track of time. So, instead of going about your usual daily tasks, you may spend considerable time thinking about or trying to suppress these unwanted thoughts.
Or you may be aware of how the need to repeat certain rituals or routines may be exhausting and time-consuming. You know these behaviors don't make sense, and you don't want to do any of these things. However, you feel compelled to do them anyway. You may feel anxious and tortured with shame and guilt most of the time for not being able to control your thoughts and behaviors, yet you still feel unable to stop them.
As an anxiety therapist in Orlando, I help clients break out of this overwhelming loop and take charge of their OCD.
Teen Counseling for OCD
There are a few things to consider when using ERP with teens who are struggling with OCD. Parent involvement will likely be necessary when establishing exposures, depending on the age of the teen. Additionally, if the teen experiences reassurance compulsions, it will be important for the therapist, parent, and client to collaborate.
In teen counseling, seeking reassurance from a parent or guardian is common. Our approach is to have clients avoid reassurance-seeking behavior to refrain from inadvertently reinforcing compulsive behaviors. This proactive involvement of the teen’s support system is crucial in encouraging effective coping mechanisms and minimizing the impact of compulsions on the teen's well-being.
How Can Anxiety Therapy Help?
At Mindful Living Counseling Orlando, we understand how difficult living with OCD can be. But we also feel confident about helping our clients break free from their obsessions and compulsions. Our anxiety therapy in Orlando might provide the answers and relief you've been searching for.
Combining cognitive-behavioral therapy, such as exposure and response prevention (ERP) and eye-movement desensitization (EMDR), usually helps symptoms improve. If your OCD symptoms are severe, OCD treatment may combine psychotherapy with a type of antidepressant medication called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
ERP Treatment for OCD in Orlando
ERP has proven to be the most effective treatment approach for OCD. This form of CBT involves voluntary, repeated exposure to your obsessions and anxiety without neutralizing them with compulsions. We know that intentionally exposing yourself to things that make you feel uncomfortable might be challenging. That is why our trained clinicians will work with you to develop an exposure plan, guide you through your encounters with the feared situation, and help you resist the urge to indulge in compulsive behavior.
EMDR Therapy for OCD
OCD symptoms might sometimes flare up in response to significant life stressors or trauma. This is when EMDR treatment is proven to be successful. As an anxiety therapist in Orlando, I use EMDR to help my clients process distressing memories and thoughts related to obsessions, encouraging them to recall these obsessions by engaging in bilateral stimulation. This process allows clients with trauma-induced OCD to reduce the intensity of obsessive thoughts and anxiety they trigger.
At Mindful Living Counseling Orlando, we combine EMDR and ERP. To process any traumatic events that occurred before the onset of OCD symptoms, we would typically use EMDR first, then ERP.
Ready to start Anxiety Therapy Orlando?
Our counselors at Mindful Living Counseling Orlando are here to help. Our highly trained team specializes in Anxiety therapy and can help you pave a path forward to healing. To get started with one of our counselors:
Fill out our New Client Consultation Form
Schedule a consultation call with our Client Care Coordinator
Start your with Anxiety Therapy.
Additional Resources for Anxiety Therapy Orlando
Anxiety Therapist Orlando: Understanding Different Types of OCD
Anxiety Therapist Orlando Shares 4 Steps to Manage Anxiety
Orlando Therapist Shares: 6 Anxiety-Friendly Activities to Do in Downtown Orlando
Orlando Therapist Shares About Anxiety Therapy
An Anxiety Therapist Shares Everything You Need to Know About Anxiety
How to Manage Perfectionism and Anxiety
Guided Meditation for Anxiety: Healing Light
Additional Therapy Services Offered at Mindful Living Counseling Orlando
The Mindful Living Counseling provides a variety of counseling services to help you overcome challenges beyond Anxiety Therapy. We offer various therapy options, including Toxic Relationship Therapy, EMDR Therapy, and Teen Therapy.
Anxiety Therapist: Elizabeth Yoak
Meet Elizabeth Yoak, LMHC! She's a licensed Mental Health Counselor who's passionate about helping teenagers and adults overcome OCD, anxiety, trauma, low self-esteem, and stress to lead a happier life. When Elizabeth isn't hard at work, she loves to spend time with her loved ones, explore new places, and take relaxing walks with her furry best friend.