OCD Treatment for Children and Adults​

Let go of the compulsion and find peace with OCD therapy​

A young man explained that he was trapped in a chaos of thoughts around the clock. Only when he repeatedly performed the same ritual in detail, over and over again, did the mental clutter briefly ease and give him relief—until the thoughts returned with the same intensity shortly thereafter.

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His thoughts revolved around harming his sister. Sometimes he imagined that he accidentally ran her over with a car.

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Other times, he imagined a fire starting in the house, and he ran away without realizing that she was sleeping in her room.

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He feared that these uncontrollable thoughts would one day come true. Only by washing his hands—and thereby washing away the horrible thoughts—did he experience a moment of peace.

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But the peace was so short-lived that he had to wash his hands again.

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His suffering was OCD, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. It is estimated that approximately 100,000 Danes have OCD to varying degrees.

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At CEKTOS, we offer OCD treatment for children and adults with metacognitive therapy at our clinics in Thisted, Aarhus, Næstved, and Copenhagen, and each year we treat around 100 people with OCD in Denmark.

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What is OCD?​

Everyone experiences some form of obsessive thoughts or compulsive actions at some point in their lives. As children, we avoid stepping on the cracks in the sidewalk, and as adults, we return to the kitchen several times to check if we've turned off the stove. Or we repeatedly check that the door is locked before going to bed.

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This is completely normal and harmless at times.

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But when a person is trapped in a pattern of thoughts and actions that have gotten out of control, it has developed into the mental disorder OCD.

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It manifests primarily as obsessive thoughts and often also compulsive actions, as well as avoidance behaviors.

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Both thoughts and actions create significant problems for the individual. For one, thoughts and actions often take up a large portion of the person's awareness. Moreover, they are very time-consuming. As a result, they affect daily life in many ways, including work, study, and relationships with others, which is why it's a good idea to seek help through OCD therapy.

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How Does OCD Manifest?​

OCD is characterized by three main traits, though they vary in intensity from person to person:

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- Obsessive Thoughts:

Unwanted thoughts that may include doubts, aggression, fear, anxiety, etc. These thoughts arise involuntarily and can appear unexpectedly in unwanted situations. Typically, obsessive thoughts are based on disturbing images, thoughts, or questions that begin with "What if...". For example: "What if the house burned down and my sister was trapped inside?" "What if my sister gets sick and I don't help her?" The thoughts can seem entirely meaningless—even to the person themselves. Yet they can be incredibly distressing and, for some, disabling.

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- Compulsive Actions:

Repetitive actions or rituals, which are performed to control, soothe, or neutralize the obsessive thoughts. Typically, these actions provide relief and reduce discomfort, but only temporarily.

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- Avoidance Behavior:

A strong focus on avoiding situations that could lead to obsessive thoughts or compulsive actions. There's also a great effort to avoid having others witness the compulsive actions.

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Some people experience their obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions as completely irrational. Others perceive them as stemming from a form of rational fear. However, what all individuals share is a sense of being unable to break free.​​

What Symptoms Might You Experience?​

OCD appears in varying degrees of severity and expressions, so symptoms can differ widely. However, common themes include:​

- A strong need to wash hands, change clothes, clean, etc.

- Repeatedly checking if doors are locked, stoves are turned off, irons are cool, etc.

- Checking if cleaning products and chemicals are locked away and keeping an eye on anything that could be associated with harm or danger.

- Spending several hours a day performing rituals.

- Being worried if everything is in its proper place and done in the correct way.

- Worrying that something terrible will happen to a family member.

- Fear of making a mistake and being punished.

- Feeling compelled to count things (cars, traffic signs, people, forks, spoons, flowers, etc.) or performing a task multiple times.

- Having specific, non-negotiable beliefs about certain numbers or colors (e.g., only being able to park in a space with the number 4, or only wearing shoes with some green on them).

- Collecting things and believing that something bad will happen if something is thrown away.

- Feeling that everyday or routine tasks must be done in a certain way that feels "right."

- Experiencing irritation from others regarding rituals.

- Feeling anxiety if prevented from performing the actions one has planned.

- Feeling ashamed of one's thoughts and behaviors and trying to hide them from others.

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Why Do You Get OCD?​

80% of people experience obsessive thoughts. But not everyone develops OCD.

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Many of us have had moments, such as standing on a train platform and briefly thinking, "What if I jump?" Most of us don't attach much significance to the thought. We don't pay much attention to it and don't take any action to avoid it.

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However, some individuals engage with the thought, asking themselves, "Why am I thinking this?" and attribute special meaning to it. They might believe that the thought carries a message, that something dangerous will happen, and that it is therefore best to take a specific action to avoid similar thoughts in the future or prevent the thought from becoming a reality.

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This process of thought processing and management creates a vicious circle of obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions, which can lead to OCD.

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The following three metacognitive beliefs maintain this cycle and, thus, the disorder:​

- Thought-Action Fusion:

The person believes that if they think a thought, they will act on it. For example: "I will take a knife and cut my children's throats." "I will jump out of the window." "I will impulsively commit suicide without wanting to."

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- Thought-Event Fusion:

The person believes that if they think something, it will happen, or has already happened. For example, the person might have thoughts about being gay, pedophilic, or evil. They may believe that merely having the thought transforms them into someone fundamentally at odds with their values.

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- Thought-Object Fusion:

The person believes that their thoughts can transfer to objects. For example, they might believe that thinking evil thoughts could transfer to their clothes, sofa, or certain cups. Consequently, these objects now bring misfortune.

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How Is OCD Treated in Children and Adults with Metacognitive Therapy?​

There are several forms of effective psychological help for people with OCD.

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At CEKTOS, we offer treatment for OCD with metacognitive therapy—for both children and adults—that has shown excellent results.

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OCD treatment with metacognitive therapy for children and adults includes exposure, known from cognitive therapy. In metacognitive therapy, we work from the belief that a thought is just a thought, regardless of its nature.

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In our OCD therapy, we challenge the belief that one cannot avoid performing compulsive actions. We also try to delay the time between obsessive thoughts and actions.

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Moreover, the method aims to show the person with OCD that uncomfortable thoughts are "just" uncomfortable and cannot cause dangerous things to happen. This experience makes it easier to leave the intrusive obsessive thoughts alone.

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Treatment for OCD in children and adults with metacognitive therapy typically consists of 6–12 sessions in 1:1 therapy.​