Lesson 19: Obsessive-compulsive disorder and impulsive problems (6 lessons in total)

Feature description:

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a psychological disorder characterized by recurring obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Obsessive thoughts manifest as involuntary, repetitive, and anxiety-provoking thoughts, such as excessive fear of contamination, harming others, or fear of disaster. Compulsive behaviors, such as repetitive rituals performed to alleviate these anxieties, include washing hands, checking door locks or electrical appliances, counting, or praying. While these behaviors temporarily alleviate anxiety, chronic repetition can create a vicious cycle, exacerbating psychological burdens and interfering with normal life. Patients are often acutely aware of the absurdity and irrationality of these behaviors, yet struggle to control them, leading to inner distress and conflict. OCD symptoms can severely hinder daily life, interpersonal interactions, work, and study, leading to a tendency to avoid social interactions and even developing complications such as depression and anxiety, impacting their overall mental health and quality of life.

Teaching objectives:

The teaching objectives of the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) course mainly include: helping patients clearly identify the specific manifestations of their obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, and understand the psychological mechanisms and causes behind obsessive symptoms; mastering the cognitive restructuring techniques in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), identifying and adjusting typical cognitive distortions in OCD, such as catastrophizing, perfectionism, and excessive responsibility; skillfully using exposure and response prevention techniques (ERP) to gradually reduce and ultimately terminate compulsive behaviors; cultivating patients' emotional awareness and mindfulness acceptance, and effectively reducing the anxiety level when compulsive behaviors are triggered; enhancing patients' sense of self-control and self-confidence, reducing inner self-blame and negative emotions, improving social functions, and ultimately establishing a long-term and stable self-management mechanism to prevent symptom recurrence.

Lesson 101:Understanding the nature and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder

OCD isn’t about you being “too serious,” it’s about your brain being overprotective of you.

Those thoughts that you cannot control do not actually represent you.

Understanding compulsion is the first step to breaking free from it.

Lesson 102:Identifying and transforming obsessive thought patterns

Instead of chasing every thought, you can learn to watch it pass by.

The mind can be trained, not controlled by it.

The change from "automatic" to "awareness" is evidence that you are changing.

Lesson 103:Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) practical training

Rather than increasing pain, ERP helps you learn to tolerate it without reacting.

Every time you practice resisting an impulse, you're taking back control of your life.

Exposure is not a punishment, but a way to face your fears bravely.

Lesson 104:Accepting and Reducing Compulsive Behavior Impulses (ERP) Practice

You don't have to act on an impulse; you can choose not to respond to it.

Acceptance is not compromise, but that you are no longer afraid of those thoughts arising.

Doing it once less is a victory.

Lesson 105:Breaking the Perfectionism Pattern of OCD

You don't have to be perfect to be liked.

Perfectionism is just a disguise for compulsion, not your real need.

Relaxing is not a failure, it’s when you begin to trust that you can be “good enough.”

Lesson 106:Cognitive therapy training to rebuild a sense of “self-worth”

You don't need to prove yourself through your actions, you are valuable.

Compulsion is a deep-seated fear of not being good enough, and you can redefine that.

Establishing a sense of value is the ultimate direction for you to separate from compulsion.

Please complete the course evaluation to review your learning and provide suggestions. This will help you deepen your understanding and help us improve the course.