• OCD affects approximately one in 42 adults in the United States.
• OCD is the fourth most common psychiatric diagnosis and one of the ten leading causes of disability worldwide.
• Approximately six million Americans have OCD.
• OCD is equally common in males and females.
• Nearly 1/3 to 1/2 of all sufferers will report that their OCD began in childhood. Some will even show signs in their pre-school years. Cases of OCD have been reported in children as young as 1 ½ years old.
• OCD will evolve throughout a person’s life. Symptoms can change, worsen, become milder or even disappear. Regardless, OCD is chronic and often disabling.
• OCD often worsens due to stress, illnesses, and disease.
• OCD is sometimes accompanied by depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, or other anxiety disorders.
• Surveys estimate that most people with OCD hide their symptoms, and less than 10 % of those suffering are currently in treatment.
• Most people see an average of three to four health professionals and spend more than nine years seeking treatment for OCD before they are correctly diagnosed.1

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1Jenike, M.A. Clinical Practice: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. New England Journal of Medicine, 350(3): 259-265

PE is a structured cognitive therapy that is done one to two times per week in session with a therapist for 60 to 90 minute sessions. The therapist encourages the client to tell their story repeatedly in what is known as imaginal exposure. Imaginal exposure is using the person’s own experience with the trauma. As the person engages in storytelling, the therapist acts as a guide to assist the client in emotional processing of the experience. Homework is assigned to help the client engage the real world in what is known as in vivo exposure. Assignments are given in a hierarchical manner. The client learns to face their triggers gradually. Triggers are what precipitate anxiety.

For example, if someone were traumatized after an automobile accident in which there was loss of life, in vivo exposure could include going back to the scene of the accident, being exposed to the smell of gasoline or burning rubber, and driving in a similar vehicle. The strength of PE lies in its effectiveness in habituating clients to their triggers while simultaneously learning that thoughts and memories are not harmful. The client learns to accept their thoughts and memories.

PE can be accomplished in as little as 12 to 15 sessions. The goal is complete remission of PTSD symptoms and common comorbid conditions such as depression. The objective is for the client to return to functional living and going or being anywhere safely, as in before the occurrence of the traumatic experience.

When looking for relief from your problems choose evidence-based treatments. Evidence-based psychotherapy means the technique shows efficacy in ameliorating problematic symptoms, as demonstrated by rigorous scientific study and replication. All evidence-based therapies are peer reviewed. This means that a community of mental health professionals agree this treatment is valid and purports to do what it intends to accomplish.

I have dedicated my entire career to the practice of evidence-based treatments for OCD and anxiety. To learn more about evidence based treatments, please click here. Here’s an excellent video describing PE.