Most of us are familiar with the term OCD, sometimes it is used to describe people who put things away in perfect order or are extremely clean. For some it may be a joke, but approximately 2.3% of people in the US have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)—a surprising number, equal to the population of Houston.
OCD does not discriminate, it affects all ages, genders, races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. It appears between the ages 8 and 12 or between the late teen years and early adulthood. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is used to help those with OCD. But what are OCD and DBT? And how does DBT help people with OCD?
Understanding OCD
OCD is a severe mental health disorder that causes symptoms of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are uncontrollable, intrusive and recurring thoughts. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors one may take to help stop obsessive thoughts. These can cause debilitating symptoms that interfere with daily life.
Common obsessions may include fears of:
- Germs
- Contamination
- Forgetting, losing, or misplacing things
- Losing control over one’s behavior
- Aggressive or violent thoughts about oneself or others
- Taboo thoughts related to sex, religion or harm
Compulsions are usually a response to an obsession. Common ones include:
- Excessive cleaning or hand washing
- Arranging items in a precise way
- Repeatedly checking things
- Compulsive counting
- Praying or repeating words silently
Not all repeated thoughts are obsessions, and not all rituals or habits are compulsions. However, people with OCD generally:
- Can’t control their obsessions or compulsions, even when they know they’re excessive.
- Spend more than 1 hour a day on their obsessions or compulsions.
- Don’t get pleasure from their compulsions but may feel temporary relief from their anxiety.
- Experience significant problems in daily life due to these thoughts or behaviors.
Understanding DBT
DBT is an evidence-based therapy originally designed for the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder, however, it has effective results in treating OCD. DBT is based on the principle that emotional distress is a part of life, but it’s possible to learn how to manage reactions and behaviors. It works with the concepts of acceptance and change by combining elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with mindfulness.
The four key elements of DBT include:
- Mindfulness practices: These help people focus on the present moment, enhancing self-awareness and fostering acceptance.
- Distress tolerance skills: These empower people to cope with an immediate crisis without turning to self-destructive behaviors.
- Emotion regulation skills: These facilitate understanding and control over intense emotions, promoting more adaptive responses.
- Interpersonal skills: These improve communication, assertiveness, and relationship management skills.
Through individual therapy and group skills training, DBT provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and tackling emotional and psychological challenges.
How Can DBT Help People with OCD
DBT can help people with OCD by focusing on distress tolerance, acceptance and non-judgment of their thoughts & feelings. The relationship between the client and therapist is essential to success. A successful DBT therapist will develop a strong sense of trust with the client and create an environment free of shame.
Some of the skills patients in DBT will learn include:
- Handle everyday stressors: Distress tolerance helps clients manage upsetting thoughts and feelings that could increase symptoms of OCD
- Develop self-control by learning to use mindfulness techniques. These can help clients stay centered in the present moment. It helps them control compulsive urges by calming themselves and embracing the inner truth of their circumstances without judging them as good or bad.
- Reduce feelings of hopelessness. Developing emotion regulation skills helps to manage obsession and fear-related anxiety. Clients learn that anxiety lessens with time, and they don’t have to cave in to compulsions.
- Improve overall quality of life with interpersonal skills. These help clients enhance their ability to function in relationships and increase self-confidence.
Benefits of Treating OCD with DBT
DBT offers those with OCD a toolkit of skills to manage distress, regulate emotions, improve relationships and stay in the present moment. They learn to handle intense discomfort without compulsions, understand and control emotional stress, and stay grounded in the midst of a storm of intruding thoughts.
DBT offers many benefits for people with OCD, including:
- Teaches clients to approach obsessions with mindfulness and acceptance instead of engaging in compulsive behaviors to reduce distress.
- Focuses on reducing reliance on compulsions
- Manage and tolerate intense emotions.
- Learn skills to help patients tolerate and manage distressing situations, emotions and urges without resorting to compulsive behaviors.
- To adopt more flexible and balanced thinking patterns. It challenges the extremes and finds a middle ground
- Teaches skills for effective communication, for assertiveness and for setting boundaries.
- Promotes self-acceptance and self-compassion. DBT may include behavioral activation techniques. This is to encourage people to engage in activities they avoid due to checking. Exposure planning can also get tailored to specific checking behaviors. This aims to reduce the need for compulsive checking.
- Adopting a nonjudgmental stance, to cultivate self-compassion.
- Directing attention to their current thoughts and emotions without getting caught up in the content of obsessions.
Seeking Professional Help
If you or a loved one are struggling with symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), our licensed professional therapists and counselors at Corner Canyon Health Centers in Utah can provide compassionate help using a range of holistic techniques. We offer DBT for the treatment of OCD, as well as other evidence-based therapies such as CBT and Ketamine Treatment. Reach out to our Admissions team to verify your insurance abd begin treatment.
Sources
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. 2022. National Institute of Mental Health
