What Are Postpartum Intrusive Thoughts? Postpartum intrusive thoughts are unwanted, distressing ideas or mental images that can occur after having a baby. These thoughts often involve fears of harm befalling one’s child or intentionally harming one’s child. They are sometimes accompanied by vivid images and can trigger significant anxiety, guilt, or shame. Despite how alarming……
POCD Basics Pedophilia-themed obsessive compulsive disorder (POCD) is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). POCD involves upsetting and unwanted thoughts (obsessions) about children. The thoughts are often about fears of being attracted to children or sexually abusing them. These thoughts are deeply upsetting to the person experiencing them and are not a reflection of their……
Healing after sexual trauma is a gradual and uniquely personal process. There is no “right” timeline for reclaiming comfort, pleasure, or closeness. What happened to you was not your fault. Sexual assault and abuse can happen to anyone, at any point in life. The effects of sexual trauma often extend far beyond the moment it……
Do you often blame yourself for things that aren’t actually your responsibility? This could be a sign of a thinking style called “personalization” which can hurt your self-esteem, and lead to anxiety and depression. Learn more about what personalization is and what you can do to address it and feel better. What Is Personalization? Personalization……
HOCD vs Denial: What’s the Difference? People with HOCD (sexual orientation OCD) typically experience intrusive thoughts, anxiety, doubt, and compulsive attempts to gain certainty about their sexual orientation. What is denial? Denial, by contrast, is a psychoanalytic concept referring to unconscious avoidance of painful truths. Because denial is unconscious, trying to “prove” whether you are……
Emetophobia is a fear of vomiting or vomit. It can make being around sick people very stressful, and can impact your life significantly. Read on to learn about this phobia and how to overcome it. Fear of Vomit – Some Basics Although it relates to a bodily function, emetophobia is a mental health condition, not……
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is treatable. Research shows that people with PTSD can achieve meaningful improvement and even remission with the right treatment. The best treatments are typically trauma-focused, meaning that they address the traumatic experience directly. Medications can help too, but usually in a secondary role to the right therapy. However, there isn’t one……
If you’re trying to figure out how to stop obsessive thoughts, you’ve probably already noticed something frustrating: pushing them away doesn’t work—at least not for long. In fact, trying to suppress intrusive thoughts often makes them come back stronger. I’ve been a psychologist for 20 years and have treated many people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).……
You’ve probably heard of PTSD – but did you know there are different types? Here’s what they are, how they show up, and what you can do about them. What Is PTSD? Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition. It can happen after someone experiences or sees something terrifying, dangerous, or life-threatening. That……
How Safe Is Flying? Flying is one of the safest forms of transportation in the world. The risk of a fatal commercial airline accident is extremely low — about 0.06 deaths per million flights. This means that you would need to fly every day for tens of thousands of years to, statistically, experience a fatal……
What Is “Just Right” OCD? Have you ever felt like something isn’t quite right? Maybe it’s your shirt collar that doesn’t sit perfectly, or your handwriting that isn’t as neat as it could be. For most people, these moments come and go. But for individuals with “just right” OCD, the need for things to feel……
Are you plagued by doubts about things that happened in the past? Are you concerned that things may not have happened just the way you remember them? Does the possibility that you’ve remembered things incorrectly fill you with anxiety, guilt, or shame? If these questions speak to your experience, you could be dealing with real……