Living with OCD

This is a guest post by Alegra Kastens, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who founded the Center for OCD, Anxiety, and Eating Disorders. People

Picking your skin is not a sure-fire sign of a mental health condition. Many people engage in skin picking behavior from time to time, such as when they

As a therapist, when I first meet someone new for treatment, I start by saying that discomfort and anxiety are just feelings — not unlike any other

As both a mother and a therapist who treats obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), I have been thinking a lot about all the ways in which my OCD has

As we approach the summer, many people with OCD may be planning to travel. Vacation can be a time of great anticipation and joy for many people, a time to

Rising rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions indicate a pressing need for improved access and quality of behavioral health

Social media has exploded in recent years. It's become a space where opinions are shared, trends are born, and relationships are developed. We’re

Anxiety is worry, nervousness or unease about something that’s on your mind. Everyone worries or feels anxiety at some point in their lives — students on

You hear an awful lot about “intrusive thoughts” as one of the key components of obsessive-compulsive disorder (it’s the “obsessive” part). But did you

If someone asked you what your values are, how would you answer? Whether it’s compassion, honesty, loyalty, or kindness, our values are a fundamental

A quickening pulse, rapid breathing, spiraling thoughts—a panic attack can be intense, both mentally and physically. The sudden feelings of fear and

Shorter days, colder weather, and cloudy skies can all lead to a drop in a person’s mood or energy level and for people with OCD, they may also lead to an

“I shouldn’t have said that…now everyone’s probably judging me.” “They’re looking at me. Do I have something in my teeth?” “I’m going to say I feel sick

Have you ever felt like you were all alone in your struggles with OCD? Like the intrusive thoughts or compulsions you were experiencing were too shameful

If your memories are the story of your life, you can think of OCD as an uninvited co-author. While almost everyone questions their memories from time to

Intrusive thoughts can feel overwhelming and anxiety-provoking under any circumstances, but especially when they revolve around doing something you don’t

There’s no question that untreated OCD can have a profound impact on a person’s life. Symptoms of the condition can be exhausting to manage. The distress

Living with untreated OCD can be brutal. You wake up in the morning, begin obsessing immediately, and then go to sleep twelve hours later hoping your next

Consistent self-criticism. A desire for constant structure and organization. A deep fear of making mistakes or falling short of self-imposed or perceived

Sometimes, OCD’s nature to attack what we value the most paints a target on our romantic relationships—and when it does, it can feel especially