Well Said: The deeper cause of OCD
On this week's episode, psychology and neuroscience professor Jon Abramowitz discusses obsessive-compulsive disorder and treatments for the disorder.
Many people find themselves driving away from their house in the morning and thinking, “Did I leave the garage door open?”
It may bother them for a few minutes — even enough to turn around and check. Then, they get on with their day.
But people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, Carolina psychology and neuroscience professor Jon Abramowitz explains, get “stuck” checking if that the door is really closed over and over again.
Abramowitz has researched anxiety disorders for over two decades and works with patients who display several different types of OCD behavior, which can include obsessive or intrusive thoughts and habits like the ritual of washing their hands several times or trying to “undo” an odd number with an even one.
He recently released the second edition of his workbook, “Getting Over OCD: a 10-Step Workbook for Taking Back Your Life,” which includes a new method of treatment.
On this episode of Well Said, Abramowitz describes what OCD is, what it isn’t and explains how exposure and response prevention combined with a new method of treatment called “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy” can be beneficial for some patients with OCD.
Listen to this episode on SoundCloud or wherever you get podcasts.
Read a transcript of the episode.
Join us every Wednesday for Well Said to hear from students, faculty, staff and alumni. Each week, you’ll learn what’s going on in classrooms, labs and around campus, and how it pertains to the local, national and international headlines.
