Anxiety Therapist Orlando: Understanding Different Types of OCD

Frequently when people think of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), they usually think of contamination OCD, which focuses on excessive handwashing and cleanliness. However, OCD encompasses much more than this.

There are different types of OCD such as self-doubt and checking OCD, intrusive forbidden thoughts, and hoarding. Working with a therapist in Orlando can help you understand your OCD and develop personalized strategies to manage symptoms, regain control over your thoughts, and improve your overall quality of life.

Self-Doubt and Checking OCD

If you have this form of OCD, you may constantly doubt your decisions, seek reassurance from others, or obsess over every decision you make, thinking whether it's good or not. To ease anxiety triggered by this relentless cycle of self-doubt, you may reach for repetitive checking behaviors, which often consume a significant amount of your time and energy.

How Does Checking OCD Show Up?

Double-checking Conversations and Correspondence: You might be constantly afraid of making mistakes, so you double-check your emails, messages, and work presentations multiple times to ensure everything is correct. During conversations, you might even find yourself silently rehearsing your words, replaying the dialogue in your head to make sure you spoke appropriately and didn't say anything silly or wrong.

Having Safety-related Intrusive Thoughts: You may experience anxiety-inducing intrusive thoughts like "Did I turn off the stove?", "Did I lock the door?", “Did I unplug the iron?”. The anxiety of these intrusive thoughts combined with the discomfort of not knowing whether you did turn off the stove, lock the door, unplug the iron, etc. can lead to endless ruminations and anxiety.

Repetitive Checking Behavior: Your anxiety may lead to repetitive checking behaviors such as checking the locks, checking the stove and other appliances, verifying if windows are shut, repeatedly ensuring that the computer and TV are disconnected, lights are turned off, or making sure the car is adequately parked, etc. After checking once, you may constantly need to confirm your safety actions were done correctly and do it all over again. Repeatedly engaging in these behaviors can consume a lot of time and leave you feeling exhausted.

Taking Pictures: With this type of OCD, when you leave home you may feel compelled to take pictures of items in your home being unplugged or off, such as your stove, iron, curling iron, and straightener. You may also take pictures or videos of locking doors such as your house door or car door.

"Just-Right" OCD: Symmetry Obsessions & Compulsions

Some people with OCD have an intense need for balance, order, and precision. If this is you, you may be in much distress when things are not even or don't appear "just right," like when your kitchen items aren't arranged in a specific way. In response, you may have to do something over and over again until it feels just right because, internally, there is such a strong discomfort. Therefore, you engage in the compulsion repeatedly until it feels right.

How Does "Just-Right" OCD Manifest in Behavior?

Obsessive Symmetry: Some people have an intense need to align objects perfectly, such as arranging items on a desk until they appear balanced and symmetrical.

Perfectionistic Repetition: You may engage in time-consuming rituals, like having to wash hands over and over again times, not out of a fear of germs but to achieve a feeling of "rightness."

Balance Rituals: You may be performing specific rituals to create a temporary sense of balance, such as tapping or touching objects a certain number of times.

Hoarding OCD: If you have this form of OCD, you may have an intense fear of discarding things, even those items you no longer need. You may worry that you might lose something valuable, need it later, or have a deep sense of discomfort at the thought of parting with your possessions. This leads to excessive collecting of things, creating clutter that can overwhelm your living space.

Hoarding OCD in Everyday Life

• Difficulty throwing away items: You may have trouble discarding things from your home or office, even items like broken objects, old magazines, or paper stakes, fearing that you might need them someday.

• Compulsive collecting and creating clutter: You might find yourself buying multiples of the same item or things you don't need because "you might need it someday." This can lead to overwhelming clutter in your living and working spaces.

• Forbidden Thoughts OCD: With this type of OCD, you may be tormented by unwanted, intrusive, and distressing thoughts that go against your values and beliefs, causing overwhelming shame and anxiety about even having these thoughts. Because of this intense distress, you may obsessively try to avoid anything that would slightly provoke these thoughts. You may also seek reassurance through behaviors such as excessive Google searches.

Types of Forbidden Obsessive Thoughts

Religious thoughts: Forbidden thoughts OCD can occur in the form of obsessive religious thoughts, such as thoughts about committing blasphemy or violating religious beliefs. You may engage in compulsive prayer or other rituals afterward to nullify these upsetting thoughts and relieve the anxiety they cause.  

Sexual obsessions: Another common theme in this type of OCD is sexual obsessions. With this type, common intrusive thoughts often revolve around inappropriate or taboo sexual acts that contradict a person's values, causing significant distress.

Harm obsessions: Some people with OCD experience disturbing thoughts of causing harm to themselves or others, which often leads to deep guilt and anxiety, causing them to avoid certain situations or people.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involves more than just a fear of germs, cleanliness, or a desire for things to be done in a particular way. It's also not a choice, and those with obsessive-compulsive disorder experience significant distress most of the time. However, with compassionate support and proper treatment, it is possible to take control of your thoughts and behaviors.

Understanding the various types of OCD, from checking behaviors to forbidden thoughts, is crucial in recognizing how this condition can affect you or manifest in your daily life. We at Mindful Living Counseling understand how these obsessions and compulsions can feel overwhelming. But there is help available to manage them. Working with a skilled therapist can provide the support and strategies to take back control.

How Can Anxiety Therapy Orlando?

Reach out to break free from the cycles of intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors and reclaim a sense of calm and confidence.

1. Fill out our New Client Consultation Form

2. Schedule a consultation call with one of our anxiety therapists.

3. Begin your healing journey!

Additional Anxiety Therapy Orlando Resources

A Guide to Understanding and Overcoming OCD

An Anxiety Therapist Shares Everything You Need to Know About Anxiety

6 Anxiety-Friendly Activities to Do in Downtown Orlando

Anxiety Therapist Shares The Impact of Stress and Trauma on Our Reactions

Orlando Therapist: Understanding Therapy Jargon

Other Therapy Services Offered at Mindful Living Counseling in Orlando

Our group is committed to assisting you in navigating any obstacles you might encounter. We offer a variety of therapeutic services, such as Anxiety Counseling, Couples Counseling, Trauma Counseling, EMDR Counseling, Toxic Relationship Counseling, Teen Counseling, and Guided Meditation sessions.

About Anxiety Therapist: Lauran Hahn

Lauran Hahn, LMHC, is a therapist in Orlando who focuses on aiding individuals with trauma and recovering from toxic relationships. As a Certified Sensorimotor Psychotherapist and an EMDRIA Approved Consultant providing EMDR intensives, Lauran is committed to helping her clients achieve a sense of peace within their bodies, clarity in their thinking, and positive relationships with others.