At the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley, we offer cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for Pure Obsessions/Mental Rituals OCD sometimes knows as “Pure O.” Our approach is practical, goal-oriented, compassionate, and scientifically-based while focusing on your individual needs.
What is Pure Obsessions/Mental Rituals OCD?
Pure Obsessions/Mental Rituals OCD also known as “Pure O” involves intrusive or obsessive thoughts with mental rituals like counting or praying in order to neutralize the fears and reduce anxiety. You may have disturbing intrusive thoughts about safety, sex, religion, health or other concerns. In order to deal with the anxiety that these thoughts cause, you may do mental rituals, like praying or compulsively reassuring yourself that the thought is not true.
Symptoms of Pure Obsessions/Mental Rituals OCD
- Intrusive thoughts that you find disturbing and difficult to control
- Trying to control your thoughts or “force” yourself not to have them
- Avoiding people or places that trigger disturbing thoughts
- Spending a lot of time trying to understand your intrusive thoughts and figure out what the deeper meaning is
- Attempting to neutralize the thoughts with a mental ritual such as praying, counting or compulsively repeating a word, phrase or mantra
- Excessive reassurance seeking by asking others or telling yourself positive things like “I am a good person”
Cognitive Behavioral Model of Pure Obsessions/Mental Rituals OCD
According to the CBT model, it is normal to experience intrusive thoughts from time to time. If you have OCD, however, you might view these experiences as threatening and assign a great deal to importance to these thoughts. When you have a thought that is disturbing or counter to your personal values or beliefs, you may interpret this as a secret desire to act out the thought or as an indication that you will lose control and act out the thought. This causes you significant distress or anxiety. You may then attempt to soothe yourself with a mental ritual that temporarily reduces your anxiety. Because anxiety is relieved in the short-term, the anxiety cycle continues with the next intrusive thought.
Cognitive Behavior Treatment of Pure Obsessions/Mental Rituals OCD
The goal of CBT for OCD is to teach you that you can manage the anxiety associated with obsessive thoughts without performing mental compulsions or rituals. You will learn a type of CBT called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Treatment will include education about OCD and how it is maintained, cognitive strategies that will help you respond differently to anxiety and intrusive thoughts, and behavioral strategies to help you delay and/or eliminate compulsive behaviors. ERP/CBT will help you face your intrusive thoughts, in session and in the real world, and practice new ways of responding to anxiety. With practice and experience facing your fears, you find yourself to be less disturbed by intrusive thoughts and more able to cope with anxiety and uncertainty.
How to Get Help for Pure Obsessions/Mental Rituals OCD
The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley is located at 16579 Los Gatos Almaden Road on the border of San Jose and Saratoga. With our convenient location between highways 85 and 17, we serve the Silicon Valley communities of San Jose, Saratoga, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Palo Alto, Cupertino and Campbell, CA. Contact us for more information on how we can help you manage your Pure Obsessions/Mental Rituals OCD.
Serving the Silicon Valley communities of San Jose, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Cupertino, Campbell, Mountain View, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and Santa Clara, CA
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