When recurring, unwanted thoughts seem to control your daily life, you may live with OCD and intrusive thoughts. It can feel overwhelming and debilitating to go through your day dealing with these intense thoughts. It can also impact every area of your life—from relationships to employment. Read on to learn more about obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), intrusive thoughts, and how to take back your life from this disorder.
What IS OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder involves uncontrollable, repeated obsessions that can lead you to engage in compulsions or repetitive behaviors. While everyone worries or feels compelled to recheck things from time to time, OCD symptoms and behaviors are severe and relentless. These distressing symptoms lead to behaviors that disrupt your daily activities.
The intrusive thoughts or obsessions that come with OCD are mental images or urges related to various fears. Some of these fears are:
- Fear of contamination or germs
- Fear of losing control
- Fear of forgetting or misplacing items
- Forbidden or unwanted thoughts about religion, sex, or harm
- Intense desire to have things in perfect or symmetrical order
How to Take Back Your Life from OCD
Psychotherapy is an effective treatment for individuals with OCD. Seeking qualified counseling from a therapist experienced in psychotherapy and other therapies to treat OCD is crucial.
In most cases, the treatment will involve exposure and response prevention (ERP), a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). With this therapy technique, the counselor will gradually expose you to your obsessions and guide you to avoid the compulsions to ease distress and anxiety.
In addition to treatment, other things you can do to manage the intrusive thoughts and anxiety with OCD include:
- Creating a consistent sleep routine and schedule
- Making exercise part of your daily activities
- Eating a healthy diet
- Seeking support from trusted family members and friends
Find Help for OCD and Intrusive Thoughts at Positive Living Psychotherapy
Therapist Taylor Trussel specializes in helping clients, including people with OCD, identify thought patterns, emotions, and behaviors interfering with their daily life. As an associate professional counselor certified in Self-Management and Recovery Training, Taylor can help you manage intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.
Taylor provides a safe, compassionate environment for you to process your emotions and anxiety and do the work to regain control of your life. Living with OCD can feel isolating, and finding the support you need from friends and family is not always easy. But you don\’t have to continue suffering from OCD and unwanted, uncontrollable thoughts.
There’s hope and help available when you turn to Taylor at Positive Living Psychotherapy. He will come alongside you to help you navigate the path to a more productive, fulfilling life that\’s not filled with intrusive thoughts.
To schedule a free phone consultation with Taylor to take back your life from OCD and intrusive thoughts, contact him online now or call 770.552.0333.