What Is OCD?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common, treatable mental health condition. It involves
• Obsessions: unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that cause distress (e.g., fear of germs, need for things to be "just right").
• Compulsions: repetitive behaviors or mental acts done to reduce anxiety or prevent something bad from happening (e.g., excessive washing, checking, counting, repeating phrases, seeking reassurance and accommodation of fears from others).
Common types of obsessions: Contamination obsessions, harm obsessions, sexual obsessions, religious scrupulosity, disarray/obsessions
Common types of compulsions: washing, checking, symmetry/ordering, repeating phrases, numbers, reassurance seeking
OCD is not just about being neat or particular—it's a serious condition that can significantly disrupt daily life.
How Common Is OCD?
• Affects about 2–3% of the population.
• Usually begins in late childhood or early adulthood but can start earlier.
• Occurs equally in men and women, though men often develop symptoms earlier. How Does OCD Impact Life?
Without treatment, OCD can:
• Take up several hours a day with rituals or intrusive thoughts.
• Impair work, school, relationships, and leisure.
• Lead to feelings of anxiety, shame, guilt, and/or depression.
OCD is not a character flaw or personal weakness. It's a medical condition—and help is available.
The Good News: OCD Is Treatable.
OCD is typically treated in outpatient settings on a weekly or bi-weekly. Intensive outpatient and residential options are indicated for those who need regular, structured support or have severe symptoms.
CBT/ERP: The gold standard treatment for OCD is a specialized form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP):
ERP for OCD/Exposure and Response Prevention
• Helps you gradually face feared thoughts or situations (exposure)
• Helps you how to stop compulsions or rituals (response prevention)
• Teaches you how to recognize and accept OCD, and learn how not to get fooled into believing OCD thoughts (Psychoeducation and cognitive and meta cognitive restructuring)
• Teaches you how to disprove your old OCD fears and learn new healthy facts (cognitive restructuring and inhibitory learning).
CBT is backed by decades of research and has high success rates. Most people who complete ERP experience a 50–70% reduction in symptoms. Doing ERP intensively can boost gains while weekly sessions can continue to build on and maintain gains.
Medications: SSRIs (like fluoxetine, sertraline) have also been shown to work for individuals with OCD. They can also reduce symptoms, especially when combined with CBT.
You’re Not Alone
OCD affects millions of people across all backgrounds. With the right treatment and support, recovery is possible.
Want Help? If you think you have OCD, hope is around the corner.
Find a provider who specializes in CBT for OCD. Click here to contact us or reach out to us at (212) 595 9559 or 914 385 1150 and press extension 1 if you think you may have OCD and would like to get help in NYC/ Manhattan / Upper East Side / Upper West Side or in Westchester County / White Plains / New York or in virtual sessions.
References
McGinn, L. K. (2015). The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral in treating OCD. Psychiatry Advisor.
McGinn, L. K. (2015). A primer on obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatry Advisor
Leahy, R. L., Holland, S. & McGinn, L. K. (2011). Treatment Plans and Interventions for Anxiety and
Depressive Disorders, Second Edition. New York: Guilford Press.
McGinn, L. K., & Sanderson, W. C. (1999). Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. New Jersey: Jason Aronson, Inc.
Helpful Links:
NIMH: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/healt... take-over
IOCDF: https://iocdf.org/ocd-finding-...