Understanding OCD
Most research says _________ causes OCD. Fill in the blank
Answer: Genetics, brain chemistry, and brain communication systems
What brain part detects danger and is overactive in OCD?
Answer: Amygdala
What kind of medication is often used for OCD?
Medications that increase serotonin in the brain. ( SSRI's)
What starts the OCD cycle?
Obsessions ; Scary Thoughts : What if ...
Is this an Obsession or Compulsion
"What if this is not OCD and this is normal?" " What if I'm just overreacting and I don't have OCD ?"
Obsession ; unwanted “what if” thought that creates intense doubt and anxiety. Its trying to get certainty. Brain is viewing uncertainty as dangerous .
True or False: OCD makes you believe its YOUR FAULT if you don't try to stop bad things from happening.
Example " I need to make sure this is EVEN or else something bad might happen and it will be my fault"
TRUE: OCD believes if you act on your fears you will prevent something bad from happening
What chemical is too high in OCD brains and acts like an overactive alarm?
Answer: Glutamate
How does higher serotonin help our fight or flight system ?
It calms it down, it can help lower / balance out the high levels of glutamate
What do compulsions ( checking, counting, making things even, etc. ) do ? How do we think they are helping ?
Obsession or compulsion ; " I had to check to make sure the oven was off 3 times "
Compulsion; It is an act/ behavior you will do to feel more certain. It provides temporary relief but long term causes more anxiety and depression
What is OCD’s main job or “goal” in the brain?
Answer: To protect you from danger — even when danger isn’t real
What chemical is too low in OCD brains and helps calm the system?
Answer : Serotonin
What does OCD try to do when you feel anxious?
It try's to solve a problem to feel safe again. Ex: I need to do XYZ to feel not anxious anymore
What happens in the long term when compulsions are done?
They make the OCD Cycle stronger
Obsession or Compulsion ? “What if they like their other friends more than me?”
Obsession
What does OCD make the brain do when it feels unsafe?
Creates scary “what if” thoughts and urges to do something about it ( compulsions / rituals EXAMPLEs are: washing, counting, stepping on different tiles, checking things more than once, etc )
What part of the brain shuts down when fight-or-flight is active, making logic hard?
Frontal Lobe
Why is accepting uncertainty important in OCD recovery?
What is the healthy alternative to doing compulsions?
Resisting the need to act on them, instead learn how to sit with the feeling. Cope with the anxiety instead of avoid and distract.
Obsession or Compulsion ? “What if I said something wrong and ruined our friendship?, I'm going to re-read our messages and make sure I didn't say anything wrong"
Why is understanding OCD important before using tools and strategies?
Answer: Because understanding why it happens helps people want to let go of compulsions
Why can’t someone problem solve well when in fight-or-flight?
The logic part of the brain is offline — they must calm down first
When we resist needing to count, check etc. ( compulsions ) over time . What does this due to the fight or flight system in our brain ?
At first it feels scary, but with very small steps, your brain will feel less scared and anxious over time. and you will have more free time to do other things.
What is the goal of ERP ( exposure therapy ) therapy in the cycle
Our anxiety will get lower and lower and stay low because It shows the brain that when we resist the urge of doing a compulsion we are STILL SAFE.
Obsession or Compulsion ? Avoiding friends completely if they feel uncertain, to “protect” themselves from rejection
Compulsion