The Most Common OCD Obsessions Addressed in Anxiety Treatment

by Dr. Craig April, Director of The April Center for Anxiety Attack Management - Los Angeles
www.KickFear.com

For the individual with OCD, obsesions can contain just about any subject matter. However, take a cross-section throughout this country and you'll find that no matter what ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status and/or history, there are common obsessions shared by most.

As a reminder, an obsession is an intrusive, recurring thought, image or impulse considered to be inappropriate and/or irrational while most likely causing some degree of suffering. Obsessions are not typical concerns over stress in relationships or career.

Here is a list of the 10 most common OCD obsessions addressed in anxiety treatment (not in any order):

- Concern with dirt, germs, contaminants, cleaning products, bodily waste

- Concern around contracting an illness

- Fear of saying or doing something wrong that will lead to punishment or harm

- Fear of impulsively harming another (stabbing someone, hitting someone with car)

- Violent or inappropriate images

- Inappropriate sexual thoughts

- Difficulty with certain sounds that are found irritating

-Doubts and concern over locks and items being turned off in home

- Superstitious thoughts

-Fears of being gay
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This is in no way an exhaustive list, just a list of common obsessions seen frequently in anxiety treatment.

Of course, the mechanics of OCD are all the same, it is the content that can vary.

Thankfully for the OCD sufferer, there is anxiety relief to be found in CBT, the only empirically proven form of therapy to reduce obsessions.

Follow this link for more on Obsessions, OCD and Anxiety Treatment