Sexual Obsessions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monnica T. Williams ◽  
Chad T. Wetterneck
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Cognitive Therapy ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Intrusive Thoughts ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Compulsive Disorder

Although there have been several manuals written about how to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), there has been little focus on application of CBT principles to those suffering from sexual obsessions. Treating sexual obsessions in OCD differs from the treatment of other forms of OCD due to heightened feelings of shame surrounding symptoms, widespread misdiagnosis from professionals, and the covert nature of ritualizing behaviors. This book provides clinicians with the tools needed to successfully help clients suffering from unwanted, intrusive thoughts of a sexual nature. It provides instructions on how to diagnose OCD in clients reporting sexual obsessions, guidance on measures to employ during assessment, and a discussion of differential diagnoses. It includes a step-by-step manual describing how to provide treatment, using a combination of exposure and ritual (response) prevention (Ex/RP), cognitive therapy, and newer CBT techniques. Also included are case examples of pedophile-themed OCD (sometimes called P-OCD) and sexual orientation worries in OCD (called SO-OCD or H-OCD) and their treatment approaches, along with a catalogue of specific ideas for in vivo exposures and detailed templates for imaginal exposures. Included are strategies therapists can use to tackle relationship issues that commonly emerge as a result of sexually themed OCD. Also included are appendices of handouts for clients and helpful measures for therapists to utilize with clients.

MINDFULNESS AND OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER: A BRIEF OVERVIEW

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-65
Author(s):  
T. Danylova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Cognitive Therapy ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Therapeutic Tools ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Level Of Living

Mindfulness is non-judgmental awareness that arises as a result of conscious focus on the current moment. It may be seen as one of the useful therapeutic tools that helps to alleviate symptoms of OCD. In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in studying the concept of mindfulness as a psychological construct and as a form of psychotherapeutic intervention for the prevention and treatment of mental disorders. The purpose of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is to assist patients in developing awareness of their thoughts and reactions. MBCT teaches that the best way to spot these triggers and overcome stress and anxiety is to be aware of and accept the current moment. Instead of trying too hard to realize negative thoughts, fears, and anxieties, MBCT teaches to accept any thought in a non-judgmental way and allow it to disappear as easily as to appear. Mindfulness is a proven skill of awareness and a way of responding in a non-judgmental manner to unwanted thoughts, feelings, and urges. Clearing the mind, mindfulness helps to kill off habitual connections between neurons and develop new ones, to reduce the level of obsessive thoughts and stereotypes, to overcome automatic thinking and eradicate existing patterns of behavior that ultimately leads to a qualitatively new level of living and development of human abilities and talents. Complementing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the gold standard for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) enhances and improves the therapeutic effect and opens new horizons for further research. The paper aims to analyze the place and role of mindfulness in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders.

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