You may hear people claim to "be OCD'' in a casual manner, even as catchphrases to their jokes. This cultural levity makes it easy to minimize the severity of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder(OCD), even when you know how it feels to live with OCD and its destructive consequences. One of the potential causes of OCD that has been addressed in recent researches is past trauma like childhood abuse, loss of a loved one, sexual violence, and so on. Trauma can be just one of the many contributing factors of OCD; hence, discovering the right treatment can be difficult. However, many patients have found the tools of talk therapy to be immensely helpful in dealing with OCD and the underlying stressful emotions.
For those struggling with OCD caused by past trauma, attending Evidence-Based Treatment is key to paving a practical path to recovery and meaningful life. Addressing and managing can be challenging to practice on your own. Many people simply accept the consequences of their trauma and the pain it exerts on them. They try their best to live with it without realizing that there are many treatment options to help them cope with such mental health concerns in a feasible way. To ensure an impactful recovery, you need to learn the skills and acquire the tools offered by an in-depth therapy program.
Understanding What Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, also known as OCD, is a highly-researched conceptualized disorder marked by uncontrollable obsessions and negative thoughts that lead to stress, anxiety, guilt, and even disgust. Sometimes, to reduce the stress that has originated from one's negative emotions or prevent obsessive thoughts, people indulge in avoidant, painstaking actions, or compulsions.
Some common symptoms are:
- Unwanted sporadic thoughts and urges
- Obsessive behavior and unnecessary worries about trivial issues
- Fear of germs, contamination, or illness
- Fear something bad might occur if you don't act fast
- Impulsive thoughts like throwing away of things
OCD can manifest in many different ways. Some people are obsessed with how things should be set, while others are overwhelmed by fears of hurting someone they love. You may be so used to such symptoms that you feel its existence is normal. While the symptoms are believed to be caused by the integration of various genetic and environmental factors, they can be the potential cause of past trauma.
The connection between Trauma and OCD
Several types of research have validated the connection between past trauma and OCD. A study published in Behavior Research and Theory demonstrated that people are more likely to experience obsessive thoughts when they are exposed to catastrophic misinterpretations of their own stressful thoughts (distorted mental image).
With both Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and OCD, a person has intrusive thoughts such as flashbacks, nightmares about the traumatic event and then engages in downplaying behaviors to reduce their stress emerging from those unpleasant thoughts.
Compulsions are typically the neutralizing behaviors of OCD. People with OCD assume compulsive behaviors (like checking, cleaning, hoarding) to be safe and comforting in the short-run. However, in the long-run, these behaviors do not only inadequately focus on the roots of the anxiety but also accelerate the existing stress.
People who develop Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder post a traumatic experience may even display a dysfunctional pattern of symptoms, such as suicidal tendencies, self-mutilation, panic disorder with agoraphobia, hoarding, compulsive spending, and greater anxiety or depression. While researchers continue to address the causes and effects of this disorder and conduct several controlled trials, determining the best approach to treat people with past trauma and OCD can be challenging for therapists. For this reason, an evidence-based treatment program is hugely significant.
Treatment
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is generally treated with Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy(ERP). In this gold standard program, individuals are exposed to the stimuli that trigger obsessive thoughts and urge them to engage in compulsion. They are then taught to control themselves from participating in normal compulsion and reduce anxiety. This treatment is carefully calibrated and curated to help people in doing away with avoidance strategies and being more thoughtful of their actions. But with trauma-related OCD or OCD that coincides with PTSD, one may opt for a different form of therapy. Some experts use Cognitive-Behavioral therapy (CBT) for trauma-related OCD. In this type of therapy, patients are taught to redirect their intrusive thoughts about the traumatic event. Other forms of treatment, such as Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and Trauma-Focused CBT, may also be beneficial. However, it is always recommended that you consult a trained Evidence-Based Treatment specialist for the right treatment if you notice any of the symptoms associated with OCD and PTSD. In case you are wondering where to start, you can check out ACT Coach for augmenting the experience of evidence-based sessions.
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