An estimated 1 in 40 Americans suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) during their lifetime, experiencing a deeply distressing mental health condition that can have serious impacts on daily life. If you have OCD, it can feel like there’s no way to escape its intrusions and demands—but this doesn’t have to be the case. At Union Square Practice, you’ll receive warm, caring, and evidence-based treatment to help you diminish the power of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Our clinicians have had great success treating OCD using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and other therapies, combined with expert medication management as needed.
Therapy for OCD is available in person at our offices in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, and telehealth extends our services to all New York State residents.
OCD is experienced as a combination of obsessions and compulsions that feel outside of a person’s immediate control. Obsessions are recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images that cause significant anxiety or distress. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental actions that a person feels driven to perform in order to respond to and neutralize the obsessions. The compulsive action generally provides temporary relief from the obsessive thoughts, and not being able to perform the action can be extremely upsetting.
OCD takes many forms. Here are a few common categories of obsessive thoughts and feelings:
These are some of the compulsive behaviors used to abate obsessive thoughts:
OCD can put stress on many aspects of a person’s life. Interpersonal relationships may be strained by the distress of obsessions and demands of compulsions. In addition to OCD’s inherent psychological stress, certain compulsive behaviors can lead to physical injury. Obsessive thinking patterns can interfere with concentration and productivity at work or school, and the anxiety accompanying OCD can lead to social isolation as well as missed experiences and opportunities.
While the causes are not fully understood, OCD appears to have a genetic component, and studies have shown differences in brain structure and function in individuals with OCD. Environmental factors such as stressful life events, trauma, or infections may trigger or exacerbate OCD symptoms. Over time, compulsive behaviors become reinforced through repetition and can feel impossible to break. OCD specialists at Union Square Practice can help you learn to interrupt these cycles and respond differently to compulsive thoughts.
Every client treatment plan at Union Square Practice is designed to fit the unique context and needs of the individual. We may recommend a variety of approaches depending on your mental health history, how the OCD manifests, and other factors. One treatment avenue we often find highly effective is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) known as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). ERP involves gradually exposing a person to their obsessions while preventing them from engaging in the corresponding compulsive behavior. Over time, this process builds a tolerance for anxiety and breaks the cycle of compulsive response.
Other approaches might include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness-based practices, encouraging nonjudgmental awareness and acceptance of obsessive thoughts and feelings as a first step towards interrupting compulsive behaviors.
Medication can be helpful in addition to therapy, particularly in moderate to severe cases of OCD. The most commonly prescribed medications are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which can reduce the severity of obsessive thought patterns. If medication might be appropriate for your situation, one of our psychiatric professionals will work closely with you and your therapist to coordinate medication management.
While there is no known cure for OCD, it can be effectively controlled. The goal of treatment is not to eliminate obsessions and compulsions entirely but to help you develop the skills to manage them. With consistent therapy, sometimes combined with medication, people with OCD can experience a significant reduction in symptoms and lead an empowered and fulfilling life.
Union Square Practice is a group of psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists who empower individuals to be the best versions of themselves using the latest science has to offer.
Intrusive thoughts and behavioral demands do not have to control your life. Evidence-based treatments can offer substantial relief from OCD symptoms, and our clinicians are ready to connect you with the tools you need. We understand how difficult it can be to reach out for help, and we take a welcoming, nonjudgmental approach to OCD treatment. Contact us today to find person-centered care and real solutions to the psychological distress and life-limiting barriers created by OCD. Serving New York and many other regions online.
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