Our mission at the Center is to provide excellence in behavioral treatment services to patients suffering with these difficult disorders. At the OCD Recovery Center we are sensitive to the inner suffering and struggle that persons with OCD go through - often on a daily basis. We are also aware that obsessions and compulsions are not the only manifestations of OCD. A person with OCD often thinks differently and approaches life differently than those without OCD. These differences can create ongoing subclinical depression, life stress, conflict in relationships and blocks to spiritual and personal growth. We have developed specialized interventions to assist OCD and spectrum disorders patients with these essential lifestyle issues.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is the fourth most disabling of all psychological conditions and affects more than 5 million adults and children in the U.S. alone. Social and economic costs of OCD are estimated to be over 10 billion dollars per year. Researchers believe that OCD is part of a spectrum of disorders which include Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Hypochondriasis and Trichotillomania, Tourette's and possibly other conditions. A chronic, neuro-behavioral disease, OCD is correlated with irregularities in the right caudate nucleus of the brain. Recently identified as genetically inherited conditions, OCD is not the "fault" of the patient any more than other inherited diseases like diabetes.
OCD can take a variety of forms, from touching objects or repeating behaviors over and over, to compulsive house cleaning or hand washing, to constant intrusive fears one will harm others or self. Persons with OCD often feel tormented because they know that their compulsions and obsessions are not "real" and yet perpetual doubt and intense anxiety make them seem impossible to resist.
With new developments in psychopharmacological management of OCD spectrum disorders have also come specialized behavior therapy techniques including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy. When successfully conducted ERP causes the same remediative changes in the brain, and has a similar rate of improvement (75%) as psychoactive medication.
The Expert Consensus Guidelines for OCD treatment (J. Clinic. Psychiat. 1997; 58 (suppl. 4)) recommend cognitive-behavioral therapy as the first line of intervention with adults and children. The program for OCD recovery offered at the OCD Recovery Center combining CBT with ten additional interlocking elements:
First Key: Accurate & Complete Diagnosis
Second Key: Information, Education & Understanding Including OC Cycles
Third Key: Assessing History & Damage from Disorder & Grieving Losses
Fourth Key: Understanding Core Family of Origin Patterns and Psychological Dynamics
Fifth Key: Identifying & Transcending Core Fears
Sixth Key: Identifying & Finding Alternatives for Unhelpful Self-Medicators
Seventh Key: Initiating and Refining Psychoactive &, or Phytomedicinal Medication Support
Eighth Key: Initializing Specialized Complementary & Integrative Healthcare (CIH) Tools
Ninth Key: Learning Stress & Anxiety Management Techniques
Tenth Key: Developing Lifestyle Management & Self-Care Skills
Eleventh Key: Developing Cognitive Restructuring & Obsession Inoculation Strategies
Twelfth Key: Conducting Behavioral Therapy
Thirteenth Key: Strengthening Family & Peer Relationships
Fourteenth Key: Reestablishing a Healthy Doing-Being Balance
Fifteenth Key: Repairing or Rebuilding Career & other Life Infrastructure Areas
Sixteenth Key: Developing Relapse Prevention Plan Including Emergency Plan & Ongoing Resource/Support Utilization
OCD Recovery Center provides the behavioral support you need to complete the recovery picture. If you believe that you or someone you care for has OCD, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Hypochondriasis or Trichotillomania we invite you to contact our office for further information.