OCD Center Blog - Page 2 of 10 - OCD Center of Los Angeles

Trichotillomania: My Journey to Treatment and Recovery

OCD Center of Los Angeles January 4, 2021 1:39 pm 22 Comments

Trichotillomania and its treatment — Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling Disorder) can be effectively
treated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

“This time, I will stop doing it for real”, I would tell myself time and time again, as I convinced myself that some new strategy I came up with was going to get me to stop pulling out my eyelashes. I believed I had come up with a genius plan after I scheduled an appointment to get eyelash extensions, a lengthy process that consisted of a professional gluing individual pieces of hair onto my existing eyelashes to create fuller, longer lashes. I had always wished that I had more eyelashes, and I thought that if I spent my hard-earned money on lashes that I love, I obviously wouldn’t pull them out, right?

Wrong.

Sadly, I repeated this mistake more than once. Despite my perfect consistency, I always found myself saying “next time will be different” as I convinced myself that if I lost enough money, the punishment would deter me from pulling out my eyelashes ever again. Many lost eyelashes later, I reached a point where I finally realized that no amount of punishment, reward, or compliments on my appearance would magically reverse my hair pulling.

My desire to have long, beautiful eyelashes was no competition for the satisfying relief I felt each time a hair came out. With each hair I pulled, I felt I was removing a massive amount of anxiety from my body as I released the hair into the world, flying away from me. Of course, this relief was short-lived, and usually left me feeling ashamed and embarrassed to face the world. Unfortunately, whenever an irresistible urge crept up on me, I never cared about the emotional and physical consequences until after it was too late.

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How Learning to Live with COVID-19 Can Help Kids Manage OCD

OCD Center of Los Angeles December 7, 2020 5:10 pm No Comments

Elena Fasan, LCSW, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses how parents can teach their children concrete skills to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, and how these same skills offer the added benefit of helping kids to cope more effectively with OCD.

Skills for managing COVID-19 and OCD — Skills used in coping with COVID-19 can also
help kids to manage OCD more effectively.

In so many ways, COVID-19 reminds me of OCD. The virus is an invisible enemy that triggers anxiety, much like OCD. Dread lurks beneath the anxiety. This underlying dread, an intense feeling that something terrible will happen, is the crux of OCD. Regardless of the content of the intrusive thoughts, those diagnosed with OCD fear a disaster is waiting to occur if they do not mitigate danger by excessively engaging in ritualistic behaviors, known as compulsions. OCD leads one to over-think, to be extra careful, and to be hyper responsible and hyper vigilant, as does the threat of COVID-19. OCD disrupts one’s life, well being, feeling of safety, and daily routine. So does COVID-19. Engaging in OCD compulsions sucks up time, energy, and attention. The same can be said of COVID-19. Experiencing OCD symptoms can be isolating. COVID-19 safety guidelines, including stay at home orders, wearing a mask in public, and social distancing are also isolating. As of yet, there is no cure for COVID, nor is there currently a cure for OCD. Whether one’s anxiety is caused by OCD, by COVID-19, or by both, a panoply of triggers await when venturing out into the world, away from the safe cocoon of one’s controlled home environment.

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When OCD Comes Between Us: Relationship OCD and Recovery

OCD Center of Los Angeles July 8, 2020 1:02 pm No Comments

The OCD Center of Los Angeles is happy to announce that three of our staff therapists will be presenting a panel discussion at the upcoming Online OCD Conference being offered by the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF).

Our panel discussion is titled “When OCD Comes Between Us: Relationship OCD and Recovery”, and will take place on the internet at the following time:

Sunday, August 2, 2020

11:00 am – 12:15 pm Eastern time
(8:00 am – 9:15 am Pacific time)

The panelists for this exciting program are:

Laura Yocum, LMFT
Lauren McMeikan, LMFT
Kelley Franke, AMFT

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Q&A: Online Therapy for OCD, Anxiety and Related Conditions

OCD Center of Los Angeles April 16, 2020 10:28 am 12 Comments

An interview with Tom Corboy, MFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, about online, webcam-based therapy for the treatment of OCD, anxiety, and related conditions.

Online therapy for OCD and anxiety — Online Therapy is an effective and convenient option
for the treatment of OCD, anxiety & related conditions

What is online therapy and how is it done?

Online therapy is just therapy conducted over the internet via webcam. It is exactly the same as face-to-face treatment that occurs in a therapist’s office, with the only significant difference being that the therapy occurs over the internet.

Our online treatment program focuses on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which has consistently and repeatedly been found by researchers to be the most effective treatment for all forms of OCD and for most related conditions.

CBT is particularly well-suited to being conducted online because it uses a structured treatment protocol that is easily adapted to online treatment. Our program uses two structured treatment manuals that every client receives, and which are central to therapy. Conversely, psychoanalysis and other forms of traditional talk therapy focus on largely unstructured treatment approaches that are not conducive to online treatment.

Besides OCD, what other conditions does the OCD Center treat with online therapy?

We treat a number of conditions that are related to, or similar to OCD. These conditions have obsessive-compulsive qualities that are quite similar to OCD, and are frequently described as Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders. Some of the other conditions we treat include Phobias, Social Anxiety, Health Anxiety, and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) such as Dermatillomania (compulsive skin picking) and Trichotillomania (compulsive Hair pulling).

Is online CBT effective for OCD and these other conditions?

There have been scores of studies on online therapy, and they have consistently found this approach to treatment to be just as effective as in-person treatment. One study even found online treatment to be more effective, mostly because the treatment was viewed by study participants as being easier to access than in-person treatment, and so they were less likely to discontinue treatment.

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Making Peace with Uncertainty: Living in the Midst of a Pandemic

OCD Center of Los Angeles April 6, 2020 3:13 pm 23 Comments

How can we use what we know about uncertainty and anxiety to support those who find themselves understandably anxious about COVID-19 and all of the fallout surrounding it?

Making Peace With Uncertainty-Living Amidst a Pandemic — We can’t eliminate uncertainty, but we can
learn to relate to it in a more productive manner.

I cannot count how many times over the last few weeks I have either said or heard the phrase “These are unprecedented times” – and they are. Granted I’ve only spent 34 years on this globe, but in that time my government has never before instructed me to limit time outside of my home or weighed in at all with regard to my proximity to strangers. I’ve never purposefully distanced myself from my parents over concerns for their safety. I’ve never seen so many empty shelves in stores, and if you’d told me on New Year’s Day I’d be wearing a mask on a routine shopping trip, I would have been perplexed to say the least. We each have our own lists of news and firsts, ranging from the strange to the devastating. This novel coronavirus brings with it a great many novel experiences.

What seems to be at the forefront during this strange moment are predictions. Some of these predictions are necessary – how many people will be infected and will we have hospital space to care for them all? How can we prevent the spread of this disease? How many jobs have been, and will continue to be, impacted? How can we support those who are without income?

We have some ideas and some answers, all of which are important as we attempt to save lives, maintain our medical system and support those who’ve lost income. All this said, the common thread that binds us all in this uncharted territory is uncertainty. We can’t know the answers. As each day unfolds it is increasingly clear just how uncertain the world is.

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My Journey to Becoming an OCD Specialist

OCD Center of Los Angeles September 30, 2019 12:55 pm 10 Comments

Debra Dalton Stein, MFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles describes her journey as a psychotherapist from working primarily with eating disorders, to becoming an OCD specialist.

Debra Dalton Stein, MFT, of the Santa Barbara branch of the OCD Center of Los Angeles — Debra Dalton Stein, MFT, of the Santa Barbara
branch of the OCD Center of Los Angeles

One of the greatest barriers to effective therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is the lack of mental health treatment providers trained in the treatment of this condition. Most graduate school programs provide a broad overview of the counseling process, without offering much in the way of specialized training for specific conditions such as OCD. As a result, most psychotherapists have a limited understanding of OCD and its appropriate treatment.

Prior to 2013, like so many other therapists, I didn’t know a lot about OCD or its treatment. I was aware that people with OCD had compulsions such as excessive hand washing, and checking doors and stove knobs, but that was about it. Up until that point, I had spent much of my career – over 20 years – working at various treatment programs that focused on other diagnoses, and specializing in the treatment of eating disorders in my private practice. I’d had an eating disorder myself in my 20s, and like all eating disorders, it was a nightmare. And just like so many people struggling with OCD, I found it extremely difficult to find appropriate help (that is, once I finally gave up trying to do it myself). (more…)

OCD vs. GAD and How to Tell the Difference

OCD Center of Los Angeles July 10, 2019 12:44 pm 28 Comments

People struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are often misdiagnosed as having other psychological conditions. One of the most common misdiagnoses for this population is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). This diagnostic problem arises for two reasons. First, the distinction between OCD and GAD is somewhat vague. And second, many treatment providers have only a limited understanding of the varying ways in which OCD can manifest. While this issue may seem like an esoteric concern to some, making a proper diagnosis is important for those struggling with either condition, as the primary treatment for OCD is different than the treatment for GAD.

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Pure O 101

OCD Center of Los Angeles May 30, 2019 7:26 pm 86 Comments

Everybody experiences unwanted thoughts from time to time, but people with Pure Obsessional OCD (aka, “Pure O”) often feel completely overwhelmed by intrusive, distressing thoughts. Tom Corboy, MFT of the OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses Pure O and its many permutations.

When most people think of OCD (if they think of OCD at all), they think of obvious compulsive behaviors such as repeated hand washing or door checking. This is likely because they have seen television news reports about OCD that focus on these sorts of overt compulsive behaviors. Or perhaps they’ve seen films like The Aviator or As Good As It Gets or Matchstick Men that showcase characters doing these or similar compulsive behaviors.

But these obvious compulsions are really just the tip of the OCD iceberg. Many people with OCD exhibit few, if any, of these outwardly observable compulsions. Based on my 25 years of experience specializing in the treatment of OCD, I posit that the great majority of people with this condition actually struggle with what is colloquially known as Pure Obsessional OCD, or “Pure O”, in which their behavioral symptoms are more subtle, and often unrecognized as “compulsions” by anyone, including themselves. In fact, the great majority of calls we receive at the OCD Center of Los Angeles are from people who are struggling with Pure O. Which begs the question…just what exactly is Pure O? (more…)

Excoriation (Skin Picking) Disorder, aka Dermatillomania

OCD Center of Los Angeles April 6, 2018 2:07 pm 78 Comments

Excoriation (Skin Picking) Disorder is an obsessive-compulsive spectrum condition in which sufferers repeatedly pick at their skin. Crystal Quater, MMFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses her personal experience with, and recovery from, Excoriation Disorder, and how she treats clients struggling with this condition.

Excoriation (Skin Picking) Disorder, aka Dermatillomania — Excoriation (Skin Picking) Disorder, also known as
Dermatillomania, can be effectively treated with
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

“I’m not going to do it, I’m not going to do it”, I repeatedly thought on my way home from work. Yet, once again, I found myself in front of my bathroom mirror, picking at those pesky bumps that wouldn’t seem to go away. When something came out, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and accomplishment.

Next, I grabbed a needle that I had carefully hidden in a small bathroom drawer and went to town on the stubborn bumps that didn’t respond to mere picking. I thought I was being clever by creating smaller incisions and doing what I imagined my facialist did when my eyes were closed. But when I finished, all I saw were raw wounds and a face that looked worse than it did before. I was left wondering how I would ever face the outside world with my unmistakable marks of humiliation.

Unfortunately, it was often difficult to remind myself of these painful episodes the next time I had the urge to pick. That’s because I always thought “I can resist the urge this time”. (more…)

OCD is Fake News

OCD Center of Los Angeles September 9, 2017 3:50 pm 65 Comments

By now, virtually anyone with even a passing interest in politics and current events has heard the term “fake news”. If you haven’t heard this term, just turn on a cable news channel on any given day and you are bound to hear a news story (or ten) about how we are being inundated with fake news that is designed to alter our political beliefs (and our votes). Regardless of your political persuasion, a Google search of the term “fake news” will lead you to a multitude of articles that describe somebody (or some country) that is presenting reality in a distorted fashion in an attempt to persuade you to see things their way. So what does this have to with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? Allow us to explain…

The writers and producers of fake news stories manipulate reality, sometimes by taking facts out of context, and other times by entirely fabricating story details (i.e., lying). Fake news stories always build their narrative on what can most charitably be called “unsubstantiated claims”. But even a cursory examination of these claims would lead any objective observer to conclude that these stories are at best misleading, and at worst, utterly untrue. The stories aren’t backed up by facts, but they sound just real enough to seem feasible.

And this is exactly what OCD does – it offers up scary thoughts for which there is no factual support, yet which appear plausible enough to lead one to believe that they may actually be true. OCD takes unimportant thoughts that occur in one’s mind completely out of the context of the real world and who the individual actually is as a person, and fabricates nightmarish scenarios (i.e., obsessions) that are not even remotely based in reality. But because these obsessive thoughts initially manifest in the sufferer’s own mind, they seem realistic, even though there is no compelling evidence to support them. In other words, OCD is fake news written, produced and directed by your own wayward brain.
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Serving the community since 1999

Trichotillomania: My Journey to Treatment and Recovery

How Learning to Live with COVID-19 Can Help Kids Manage OCD

When OCD Comes Between Us: Relationship OCD and Recovery

Q&A: Online Therapy for OCD, Anxiety and Related Conditions

Making Peace with Uncertainty: Living in the Midst of a Pandemic

My Journey to Becoming an OCD Specialist

OCD vs. GAD and How to Tell the Difference

Pure O 101

Excoriation (Skin Picking) Disorder, aka Dermatillomania

OCD is Fake News

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Contact the OCD Center

OCD Center of Los Angeles