Free Resources
Awareness and understanding of OCD can lead to a reduction in stigma and can also improve the OCD recovery process. Our aim is to help facilitate both these goals. The information in this section provides education regarding many ways OCD obsessions and compulsions present for individuals, plus information on treatment specific topics.
Please see below for a more detailed overview of our Free Resources, along with access to these resources.
Our Free Resources cover information related to the fundamentals of OCD, exposure therapy (also known as ERP), and practical guidance on how to help a loved one with OCD.
The information is structured in three sections: Section 1 is a series of Introductory Guides, which cover a range of OCD related topics, and look at several topic areas that are explored in-depth by our paid associated Educational Guides; Section 2 explores a selection of Different OCD Themes, and provides relevant information for each different theme; and Section 3 contains our OCD Awareness Scale, a tool we created to help provide education regarding OCD.
New resources will be added periodically. We welcome feedback regarding specific topic areas that you would be interested in learning more about, and aim to tailor future resources based on questions received from readers.
Please join our mailing list if you would like to be notified when we add a new post. If you have a request for a future topic, please send your question or recommendation to: contact@theocdacademy.com
OCD for Beginners
Learning More About OCD
Learning the basics of OCD is a helpful initial step in understanding what factors reinforce the OCD and make it stronger, and what approaches help break the OCD cycle. Through facts, explanations, and a clinical vignette, the article provides information to help illustrate the components of OCD.
Exposures
The Gold Standard OCD Treatment
Exposure therapy is also referred to as exposure and response prevention, exposure and ritual prevention, or ERP. It is the gold-standard OCD treatment approach that helps people learn how to make values-based choices instead of being controlled by the rules and restrictions of OCD.
Exposures Seem Scary
Can OCD Be Treated Without Doing Exposures?
Having OCD feels scary enough – the thought of doing exposures and confronting the things that trigger OCD can seem downright terrifying. While it is understandable that the concept of exposures can cause a reaction like, “I’m not doing that!”, the actual exposure process is empowering and designed to build confidence and lead to recovery.
Support and OCD
How to Support Your Loved One with OCD
Oftentimes, people try to use reason and logic to help loved ones with OCD overcome their worries. As OCD is based on doubt, unfortunately, no amount of logic can make the obsessions disappear. Furthermore, trying to reason with the OCD actually makes it stronger. There are specific therapeutic principles to help support loved ones with OCD.
Reframing and Rituals
Reframing Thoughts Can Be an OCD Ritual
A commonly used therapeutic practice involves taking our thoughts and then actively working on changing our perspective to see our initial thoughts in a different way. This approach is referred to as reframing. However, with OCD, reframing often unintentionally acts as a compulsion, which makes the OCD grow stronger in the long run.
Anxiety and OCD Treatment
Why Decreasing Anxiety Is Not the Goal of OCD Treatment
It is common for people to try many different ways to stop feeling anxious or to get rid of their OCD. However, the more that we try to fight the OCD/anxiety, the stronger it becomes. The foundation of anxiety and OCD treatment is based on the principle of acceptance. Acceptance is not the same as giving up – it is actually quite the opposite!