This video describes counting rituals in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). When we talk about counting rituals in OCD a lot of times what we're talking about is a type of obsession and compulsion related to checking. An individual will count something a certain number of times in order to check it. Often these checking obsessions and compulsions are tied to safety. There are the two parts to OCD: obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions increase anxiety and compulsions, in theory, decrease anxiety. In certain presentations, OCD appears to only have obsessions, but really if we look more closely at those presentations, we see that it's a mental compulsion that's occurring as opposed to a regular compulsion. Oftentimes, counting obsessions are centered around safety. We see objects like light switches, for example. A light switch will be turned on and off a particular number of times or the individual will push down on the light switch so many times. We also can look at other types of switches as well, for example, with light switches have a dimmer. Here you might see somebody turning the dimmer all the way down to all the way up. Switches on electronic devices may be manipulated too. Locks are a common focus of counting rituals. It may be a lock on a door to a house, but it can be a car, shed, filing cabinet, or anything that has a lock. Another area we see counting rituals with safety is with ovens and other appliances. If an oven is electric or gas, the burner can be turned on and off so many times and again this is to make sure it's actually off. Some of the counting rituals are not as clearly tied to safety. For example, having to walk in and out of a room so many times before somebody walks out of the room for the final time. The number used in counting rituals may be constant or change.
13 сен 2024
