how to apply CBT

[Guest guest]

If anybody could please explain CBT by giving me an example of how

you apply it to OCD I would be grateful. I understand the concept

that if you change the way you think about things the feelings will

be different. Does this have anything to do with the obsessions or

the compulsions or both.

Would be grateful for any help

kerrie

[Guest guest]

Hi Kerry, CBT helps an ocder change how he interprets and responds to OCD

such as relabeling obsessions as " junk mail " that do not deserve attention.

Exposure and Response Prevention, a type of CBT, involves having the ocder

rank their compulsions in order of difficulty of resisting doing them.

Then, starting about halfway up the list or lower, the ocder exposes herself

to the feared thing, feels the anxiety this causes, while resisting doing

the compulsion. With repetition, the anxiety feelings fall very low, or

gone and the compulsion disappears.

For disturbing obsessional thoughts, the ocder can make a loop tape where

she describes the horrific events that comprise the obsession. Then she

listens to this tape repeatedly, until her anxiety level falls and she is

actually bored with the tape and finds her mind wandering during the

exposure (listening to the tape.)

ERP is about changing *behavior* which causes an eventual change in

feelings--feelings of having to do a compulsion, or fear feelings about an

obsession.

March and Mulle's therapy manual, " OCD in Children and

Adolescents " describes CBT for OCD and is a good resource for you and your

child's therapist.

Hope I helped,

Kathy R. in Indiana

----- Original Message -----

From: <terrykerrie@...>

> If anybody could please explain CBT by giving me an example of how

> you apply it to OCD I would be grateful. I understand the concept

> that if you change the way you think about things the feelings will

> be different. Does this have anything to do with the obsessions or

> the compulsions or both.

> Would be grateful for any help