Living with OCD
We're creating resources to help people learn about OCD in the many ways it impacts their own lives—not just what it looks like on paper. You can search our resources to determine when your intrusive thoughts may be related to OCD.
It is not uncommon during my first encounter with a member to have them state that if they could just get rid of their distressing thoughts they would be
By Stacy Quick, LPC
Experiencing any type of mental health condition can have devastating impacts on you and those around you. It can change your worldview, how you function,
By Stacy Quick, LPC
We all know by now that not everything we read on the internet is correct. Misinformation surrounding mental health conditions is rampant and can have
By Stacy Quick, LPC
Impulse control refers to resisting or inhibiting an impulsive urge or behavior. It is the ability to regulate your emotions and desires so that you can
By Stacy Quick, LPC
People who have OCD will often tell you that they feel all alone in a silent battle. They describe a feeling of intense isolation. The very nature of this
By Stacy Quick, LPC
Anger and rage are often overlooked emotions in OCD. It’s been said that anger is the flip side of the emotional “coin” of fear—and since so much of OCD
By Stacy Quick, LPC
OCD symptoms are hard enough on fully developed adults—but what about teens who begin to exhibit signs and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
By Dr. Keara Valentine
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is considered a chronic condition, which means that its symptoms can come and go throughout a person’s life. When
By Stacy Quick, LPC
Uncertainty and doubt seem to lay at the bedrock of OCD. OCD demands 100% certainty, no matter the cost—a feat that is, of course, impossible to achieve.
By Stacy Quick, LPC
Some aspects of OCD might be obvious, even to others. Certain physical compulsions are simply impossible to hide in all situations. But one of the more
By Stacy Quick, LPC
We all know that OCD can be very sneaky. It can latch onto any thought, feeling, or urge that pops into your brain unwanted. But did you also know that it
By Stacy Quick, LPC
“But this is different! This could actually happen!” I can’t even attempt to tell you how many times people have told me this in therapy. OCD is always
By Stacy Quick, LPC
Exposure and response prevention, or ERP, is the most commonly recommended, evidence-based form of therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The
By Patrick McGrath, PhD
Reviewed by April Kilduff, MA, LCPC
Living with OCD can, sadly, change the way you see the world. OCD forces its own perspective on nearly everything—seeing danger where there is none,
By Stacy Quick, LPC
I think everyone has an “inner critic.” But at a certain point, problems with self-esteem and questions of self-worth can be indicative of mental health
By Stacy Quick, LPC
When the obsessions of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) strike, it can feel unbearable—time and again, you try to relieve your anxiety and discomfort
By Stacy Quick, LPC
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD
Have you ever replayed a childhood memory over and over in your mind? Maybe a nostalgic feeling swept over you as you recalled the events of that
By Stacy Quick, LPC
This question can be answered in a million different ways, to a million different people, yet to truly understand obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), one
By Stacy Quick, LPC
The tragedy of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is not its prevalence, even though it affects an estimated 1 in 40 adults worldwide. Nor is it the
By Grant Stoddard
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD
Both obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are common mental health disorders, affecting millions of Americans each
By Dr. Keara Valentine
Reviewed by April Kilduff, MA, LCPC