Sometimes we all skip out on things we don’t like. How is that relevant to anxiety? Very! Learn why avoidance may be the most important thing you’re overlooking to improve your anxiety.
We all try to get more of the things we like and less of the things we don’t. People of any age do this, and so do animals — it’s universal.
[Read more…]Anxiety about driving can happen for many reasons. This article breaks down the different types of fears of driving, and what helps with each.
Anxiety around driving can be quite impactful for those who have it, especially those who don’t have someone else to drive them around. Driving phobia is marked by avoidance of driving, marked distress while driving, or even panic attacks when behind the wheel.
[Read more…]ERP therapy (exposure and response prevention) and ExRP (exposure and ritual prevention) are psychotherapies used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). ERP was pioneered in the 1960s by British psychologist Vic Meyer. Edna Foa and her colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania further developed it and gave ERP its name in the 1970s and 1980s.
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Updated: September 19th, 2020
A rarely discussed symptom of OCD is an overwhelming need to confess “sins,” even when the transgressions are very slight. Typically this will arise in the context of a marriage or romantic relationship. At first, what is confessed may not seem so minor. However, if the problem is not addressed, the confessed acts often become quite trivial.
[Read more…]Many people with OCD engage in compulsive hand washing. This habit can become excessive, at times resulting in raw and broken skin. There are two ways that hand washing can get out of control: 1) time spent washing, and 2) frequency of washing.
Excessive hand washing may be the single most common observable symptom of OCD, and is probably the behavior most commonly associated with OCD. But how much is too much? Many people with OCD become quite comfortable washing their hands several times per day. However, the frequency can sometimes escalate, becoming a real impediment to living a “normal” life.
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