OCD is characterized by the presence of obsessions (repetitive, unwanted, intrusive thoughts and/or images that cause distress) and compulsions (repeated behaviors or mental acts that are performed to prevent a feared outcome and/or to decrease distress caused by obsessions). People who suffer from OCD are usually aware that their thoughts are excessive or irrational, and often report feeling compelled to engage in compulsive behavior.

OCD is a common condition that presents itself in a number of different ways. OCD can be extremely debilitating. For some people obsessions and compulsive behaviors can take up hours each day and can make it difficult to carry out tasks of daily living. Below are some of the ways OCD can frequently manifest.

• Contamination OCD

  • Common Obsessions: Fear or germs, bodily fluids, chemicals, environmental contaminants.

  • Common Compulsions: Excessive cleaning or showering, avoidance of items perceived as dirty or contaminated.

• Harm OCD

  • Common Obsessions: Violent thoughts/images, fears of causing physical or emotional suffering to others.

  • Common Compulsions: Avoidance knives or sharp objects, mental reviewing of triggering situations, reassurance seeking.

• Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity OCD

  • Common Obsessions: Fears of being a gender or a sexuality other than you identify.

  • Common Compulsions: Arousal/body checking, avoidance of triggering situations.

• Hyper-Responsibility OCD

  • Common Obsessions: Fears of being responsible for something terrible happening.

  • Common Compulsions: Excessive checking of lights, stoves, locks, confessing, mentally reviewing.

• Pedophilia OCD

  • Common Obsessions: Fear of being a sexual predator or being attracted to children, fears of having committed an act of Pedophilia without evidence.

  • Common Compulsions: Avoidance of children, arousal checking, avoidance of movies or other media that involve children.

• Relationship OCD

  • Common Obsessions: Excessive doubting about whether you love or are attracted to your partner.

  • Common Compulsions: Mental comparing, analyzing the relationship, checking for feelings of attraction.

• Hyper-Awareness/Sensorimotor OCD

  • Common Obsessions: Fear of not being able to stop attending to body functions such as breathing, staring swallowing.

  • Common Compulsive Behaviors: Awareness checking, seeking reassurance, distracting in an excessive manner.

• Just Right OCD

  • Common Obsessions: Fears of not being able to tolerate the feeling of something, needing things to feel “just right.”

  • Common Compulsive Behaviors: Repeating of routine behaviors, re-reading, re-writing, mental repetitions.

• Religious/Moral Scrupulosity OCD

  • Common Obsessions: Fears of committing moral sins, being a bad person, offending God, or violating moral codes.

  • Common Compulsions: Ritualized praying, mental reviewing, confessing, reassurance seeking.

• Existential OCD

  • Common Obsessions: Preoccupation with philosophical questions of life that cannot be answered, questioning about the nature of self or reality.

  • Common Compulsions: Excessive research, answer seeking, mental checking, excessive engagement in “figuring out” behaviors.

A specific phobia is a recurrent irrational fear of an object or situation. Exposure to that object or situation typically causes an increase in anxiety that can sometimes lead to panic attacks. Depending on the phobia, people may go to great lengths to avoid contact with the feared object or situation. Researchers are unsure of the direct cause of phobias, but genetics, environment, and life stressors seem to all play a role in their development. The extent to which phobias get in the way of life vary widely from person to person.

Common Phobias

Exposure-Based Therapy (ERP Therapy for OCD) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are the most effective methods for phobia treatment. These methods can assist people with gradually moving towards the things they are scared of in service of having more freedom and choice in life. Various Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) techniques as well as Mindfulness can also assist people who have specific phobias with relating them differently so that they no longer get in the way of living life freely.

mindfulSF offers treatment for OCD and phobias in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area. Online services also offered across California.