As someone who has experienced the distressing symptoms of OCD, I understand how overwhelming and debilitating it can be to feel trapped in a cycle of intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. However, there are effective treatments available that can help manage and even overcome OCD symptoms, and one of the most effective treatments is Exposure […]

As a therapist, I have found that exposure therapy can be a highly effective treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry about a wide range of life events and situations. While it may seem counterintuitive to intentionally expose someone to the things they fear, exposure therapy can help people with GAD minimize the symptoms of anxiety and regain control over their lives.

If you have OCD, anxiety, fear, or panic, chances are, you’re ruminating. For a mental compulsion and safety behavior that quite literally affects everyone with these conditions, it’s surprising to me that some people are still unaware of what rumination is. Rumination, to some professionals, more generally describes any kind of mental engagement with a thought. This can be a pretty broad application considering all the different ways in which a person with OCD/anxiety can engage with a thought. We can be pretty creative and stubborn like that!

If you like to think of it more generally, that’s great – you do you. But if you have a hard time applying that broad definition, or if you’re curious about the more specific ways one might be engaging in mental compulsions such as rumination, read on.