CBT for OCD Flashcards
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
OCD is characterized by persistent and distressing thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that individuals feel compelled to perform.
Define obsessions in the context of OCD.
Obsessions are repetitive, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that are unwanted and cause distress.
Define compulsions in the context of OCD.
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts aimed at reducing anxiety or preventing feared events, but are not connected in a realistic way to the feared event.
Give an example of an obsessed thought related to harm.
Fear of causing harm to others, such as ‘I might push someone in front of a train.’
What are the ICD-11 criteria for diagnosing OCD?
Persistent obsessions and/or compulsions, distress or impairment in functioning, and compulsions provide temporary relief from anxiety.
What is the significance of intrusive thoughts in OCD?
Intrusive thoughts are clinically significant when persistent and lead to compulsive behaviors.
What core belief is often held by individuals with OCD?
Individuals may believe ‘My thoughts are morally equivalent to my actions.’
What cognitive biases contribute to the maintenance of OCD symptoms?
Cognitive biases such as emotional reasoning and catastrophic thinking.
Explain Theory A and Theory B in OCD treatment.
Theory A represents the OCD-related belief or fear, while Theory B is a more realistic interpretation that does not require compulsions.
What is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)?
ERP involves exposing the individual to anxiety-provoking situations or thoughts without engaging in compulsions.
What is the goal of Exposure and Response Prevention?
To help the individual become less sensitive to the anxiety associated with intrusive thoughts through habituation.
Name a method used in behavioral experiments for OCD treatment.
Collecting facts and opinions about the likelihood of acting on violent thoughts.
What does the anti-OCD approach involve?
Doing the opposite of what OCD urges, such as intentionally avoiding compulsive behaviors.
True or False: Compulsions in OCD are pleasurable.
False. Compulsions provide temporary relief from anxiety but are not pleasurable.
What is a key takeaway regarding therapists’ roles in OCD treatment?
Therapists must sometimes be brave to help patients challenge the deeply held fears that drive OCD.
Fill in the blank: The interpretation of intrusive thoughts significantly impacts the ______ of OCD.
severity
Describe the cognitive behavioural model of OCD
Developed by Salkovskis1998
A person will have early experiences which make them vulnerable to OCD, then there is a critical incident that triggers it
Needs to assumptions or beliefs such as thinking about a something terrible or means that the person thinking it is a m terrible person
These thoughts are intrusive and they lead to neutralising behaviours such as checking or rituals as well as hyper focused attention
It’s all about misinterpretation of the thought
The action feels good in the moment, but it then must be repeated over again
This creates an overall sense of poor mood
Describe 3 treatments for OCD
Normalising the OCD thoughts
Theory A versus theory B - create two competing theories and elicit evidence for both fairies basically disputation what I did - start testing out both theories as you go
Exposure and response prevention (essentially behavioural experiments) Gillihan 2012- helping the individual will become more desensitised to the anxiety associated with intrusive thought using habitation - gradually improving. Anxiety will peak and then it will come down and the person will get used to the thought overtime.
Auntie OCD approach- touching the toilet
