OCD & Grief
Grief is an emotion that everyone will deal with at some point in their life, unfortunately. However, this does not make it any easier to confront or intrinsically know how to deal with. Individuals suffering with OCD often experience emotions a little bit differently to the average person, and this may cause a response that […]
OCD Awareness Week – Quick Facts
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder that involves obsessions (unwanted and repetitive thoughts/images/urges) as well as compulsions (behaviors or mental acts in response to the obsession) An estimated 1.2% of adults in the US have been diagnosed with OCD OCD impacts people across all genders at the same rate Some common themes or subtypes […]
Coping with OCD
Now that you have received a clinical diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, what comes next? The most important step you can take is finding a licensed therapist who utilizes Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy. This is truly the gold standard in treating OCD and related disorders, and research shows that it is typically the […]
Suicide and OCD
Society’s widespread trivialization of obsessive-compulsive disorder has led many to believe that the risk of suicide in people with OCD is low. This is far from the truth. In fact, according to the International OCD Foundation, about two thirds of individuals with OCD have experienced suicidal ideation. One study claims that the risk of suicidality […]
Pure Obsessional OCD or “Pure O”
“Pure O” OCD is a colloquial term in the OCD community short for “purely obsessional” OCD. The name is a misnomer, however, because individuals with pure O do in fact perform compulsions; they just happen to be fully mental. Examples of mental compulsions include praying, mental review, checking how you feel, checking bodily sensations, and […]
Harm OCD
Most individuals will experience intrusive thoughts that are aggressive or violent in nature on occasion; however, these are normally fleeting and easily dismissed. Harm OCD, a subtype of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, involves experiencing frequent unwanted or intrusive thoughts or mental images of a violent nature. These thoughts can be directed at one’s self or others […]
Moral Scrupulosity OCD
Moral Scrupulosity is a subtype of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It involves the individual obsessing over whether or not they are a “good” or “bad” person, in terms of their moral compass. The person living with Moral Scrupulosity (shortened to Scrup) experiences intrusive (meaning unwanted) images, urges, and/or thoughts about violating their moral or ethical […]
Health OCD
Health anxiety, sometimes referred to as hypochondria or hypochondriasis, is the mental illness characterized by a preoccupation with and/or fear of having a severe illness. Individuals with health anxiety interpret normal bodily sensations as a sign of major illness, despite reassurance from medical professionals that they are healthy. Common symptoms of health anxiety include constantly […]
July is Minority Mental Health Month: Highlighting Those with Lived Experience
July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, which aims to shed light on the unique struggles and challenges of people of color living with mental illness. We at OCD Gamechangers believe in highlighting those with first-hand experience. This week we interviewed Cyrene, a Black woman living with OCD. Cyrene is an amazing advocate for the […]
Friendships & OCD
From the perspective of someone with OCD, friendships can be difficult relationships to manage for a number of reasons. For one, it may feel overwhelming to spend time with others and enjoy social interaction when it feels like you are stuck inside your own mind. OCD has its roots in intrusive thoughts and obsessions that […]
