Treatment of OCD and Anxiety: A Brief History

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As long as people have been having thoughts, they have been having unwanted ones.  For most people, unwanted thoughts are little more than a nuisance or a curiosity.  But for those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related anxiety disorders, these thoughts can be a debilitating nightmare.  Unwanted thoughts often trigger unwanted emotions (anxiety, panic), which in turn lead to compulsive attempts to avoid, suppress, and control these emotions.

Traditional Treatment Strategies for OCD and Anxiety

Before the development of psychological treatments, disorders such as OCD and other anxiety conditions were often considered spiritual problems.  The sanctioned response was to do your compulsions harder and more frequently.  And for those who drew too much attention, a not uncommon result was persecution, imprisonment, or being subjected to brutal, misguided experiments. › Continue reading

Tags: Anxiety, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Health, Mental Health, Minfulness Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (MBCBT), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)