Pure O 101
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.
endless litany of unwanted thoughts.
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…)
