Understanding OCD
Episode Description
While OCD is sometimes perceived as simply a desire to keep things neat and organized, it can actually have much more severe symptoms for those who experience it. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn meets with psychologist Dr. Megan Spencer to talk about who Obsessive Compulsive Disorder affects, what its signs and symptoms are, and how to seek help if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with OCD.What to Expect
- Obsessions & Compulsions
- How common is OCD?
- Finding help for OCD
Resources: Learn More
- “Treatments for OCD” (Anxiety & Depression Association of America)
- International OCD Foundation
Things to Think About
- While genetics may put individuals at higher risk, they don’t determine with certainty whether someone will develop OCD or not.
- OCD tends to affect men and women at different stages in life, typically appearing in childhood for men and adulthood for women.
About the Hosts
Dr. Megan Spencer is a clinical psychologist at Dakota Family Services. She is passionate about working with individuals and their families and highly values the therapeutic relationship. Dr. Spencer enjoys helping people better understand themselves and their psychological functioning. She looks forward to working with anyone who is looking to better understand and/or improve themselves or their children and families. Her practice includes diagnostic and psychological evaluations and individual cognitive behavioral therapy.
Transcript
Understanding OCD
Featuring Dr. Megan Spencer, Psychologist, Dakota Family Services
Tim Unsinn:
Welcome to Mind Your Mind, a podcast presented by Dakota Family Services, an outpatient behavioral health clinic located in Minot, Bismarck, and Fargo, North Dakota. In this podcast, I will talk with our experts about understanding and nurturing our mental health and wellness. I'm your host, Tim Unsinn. Join me each episode as we explore the intricacies of our minds, decrease the stigma of mental illness, learn practical tips for managing our mental health and wellbeing, and recognize when it's time to ask for help. Join me now to mind your mind. Welcome to this episode of Mind Your Mind. Our guest is Dr. Megan Spencer. Dr. Spencer is a clinical psychologist and provides diagnostic and psychological evaluations, and CBT. Dr. Spencer, great to have you on Mind Your Mind. Our topic this time is going to be OCD. However, before we get to the topic, question I ask to start off everything is why do you do what you do?
Megan Spencer:
Well, for me, that's fairly simple. I do what I do because I absolutely love helping people, and I thoroughly enjoy watching people through the journey of therapy and understanding and helping themselves. But I also love the journey of helping people understand through psychological assessment and what that might bring in terms of more information that they just didn't know previously.
Tim Unsinn:
That's a great answer. Always love hearing helping others. You know, why we get up in the morning is to help others. Okay. Our topic is OCD. What is OCD?
Megan Spencer:
Oh, OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and it is defined by the presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both. So it doesn't have to be both, but one or the other must be present. And so obsessions then are defined by those recurrent or persistent thoughts or urges or images that we have in our mind that are experienced and really do cause disturbance. They're intrusive. It's really difficult to control or manage. And then usually more times than not that individual's really gonna try to ignore or suppress those urges or those images in order to kind of function and move on. Compulsions then are defined by those repetitive behaviors. So some examples might be handwashing, checking things a certain number of times, it might be, you know, ordering things in a particular way or mental acts. So mental acts are gonna be repeating certain words silently to themselves, repeating certain phrases that they feel they need to do counting in a particular way. And then the other really important part to that is the individual feels driven or very compelled to perform those behaviors in order to manage those intrusive thoughts and feelings that they have if they were not to do those behaviors. And then the other part of that is those behaviors or those mental acts are really meant to prevent or reduce the anxiety, the apprehension, the fear that can come from those compulsions or from not doing those repetitive acts.
Tim Unsinn:
What's the prevalence?
Megan Spencer:
In the United States 12 month prevalence is gonna be about 1.2%, and then similarly, internationally actually the prevalence for OCD is 1.1 to 1.8%. And then in terms of gender, females tend to be more affected at a slightly higher rate than males, and that relates to adulthood. So males conversely are more affected during childhood, whereas females tend to be more diagnosed then during adulthood.
Tim Unsinn:
What's the development and the course?
Megan Spencer:
So in the United States, the mean age at onset, so meaning typically that is when the first individual is diagnosed, is around 19 and a half years old. So between 19 and 20 and 25% of cases start as early as age 14. In terms of when they are diagnosed or identified, onset after age 35 is actually pretty unusual. It does of course happen, but it's more unusual than that range between the 14 or the 19 to 20.
Tim Unsinn:
You're listening to Mind Your Mind, our guest is Dr. Megan Spencer, and we are talking about OCD. So what are the risk and prognostic factors?
Megan Spencer:
Yes. So there are a few different things in terms of risk and prognostic factors, there is what's called temperamental. And so these are gonna be internalizing symptoms. So negative emotions, behavioral inhibition just means that real hesitancy to wanna do something. It can be environmental factors. And so those could be what we think of as trauma or significant stressors, right? So any types of abuse, witnessing domestic violence, experiencing any type of natural disasters or, you know, household fires, for example, as well as genetic and physiological, of course. Now I always say genetic factors can play a role, but I never want people to assume genetic equals anything. Genetic statistically gives us a higher chance, but it doesn't mean that we will. And physiological then can relate to those physical symptoms that can sometimes occur with different types of disorders or even certain types of experiences.
Tim Unsinn:
So what do we do then if we're concerned about ourselves or our family members that may have OCD?
Megan Spencer:
So by no means does anyone expect you as a family member or a friend to be able to diagnose this. And I think the most important piece is if you are recognizing that you, yourself or someone you know might have some of these symptoms or some of these experiences, it's really important to first have that conversation and ask them about it, see if they need help, right? Just open that door and if they're, you know, if at that point they're willing to search for some options with them, if they're not open at that point, let them know that you're always there for them and you're willing to listen or help when they're ready. But options certainly include reaching out to primary care, reaching out to therapists, psychologists, any type of behavioral health professionals can help direct.
Tim Unsinn:
Well, thanks. Great topic, Dr. Megan Spencer with us on Mind Your Mind. And as we wrap up the OCD conversation, before we finish, before we go away, always that final question I ask all of our guests, and that is, what do you do personally to mind your mind?
Megan Spencer:
For me, it's being with my family. I have two little girls and they are extremely bright lights in my life. Being with my husband, traveling or just being outside and enjoying the beautiful weather that we get when we get it.
Tim Unsinn:
That's great. Thank you so much again for being on Mind Your Mind. Appreciate your time and your talent and spending it with us. Thank you for joining us for Mind Your Mind, a podcast presented by Dakota Family Services. You can't have health without behavioral health. Remember to mind your mind. For more information, links to additional resources, contact information, and much more, go to Dakotafamilyservices.org.
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Like other personality disorders, borderline personality disorder is a commonly misunderstood and stigmatized mental illness. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn talks with Lucas Mitzel, a therapist at Dakota Family Services, about what BPD is, how it affects someone’s behavior, and where to seek treatment if your child has been diagnosed with BPD.;
Psychological Assessments: What to Expect
Do you think you might be suffering from an undiagnosed mental disorder? If so, a psychological assessment might be able to help. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, psychologist Dr. Hannah Baczynski and host Tim Unsinn talk about what to expect from a psychological assessment, including what an assessment might include, what information you might receive from the psychologist, and what you should communicate with your psychologist before and after receiving an assessment.;
Supplements in Psychiatry
In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn and Amanda Daggett explore the topic of using supplements for mental health. In addition to talking about some of the most commonly used supplements like melatonin and St. John’s Wort, they also discuss the benefits, the risks, and the research surrounding various supplements.;
Seasonal Affective Disorder (Community Chat Series)
Feeling like you’ve got the winter blues? If you’re noticing symptoms of depression with the change of seasons, it may be a sign that you’re suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. In this special Community Chat episode of Mind Your Mind, therapists Christy Wilkie and Lucas Mitzel discuss the common symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, how it can affect other mental health disorders, and some useful tips, tricks, and resources for managing symptoms of SAD.;
Trying New Things With Confidence
Join Christy and Lucas, therapists at Dakota Family Services, as they share practical tips for building confidence when trying new things. From managing self-doubt to building resilience, this episode will empower you to approach new experiences with a positive mindset.;
Relationships are Hard
In this episode, Christy and Lucas explore why relationships can be so hard. Join them as they discuss the characteristics of both healthy and toxic relationships, talk about the difference between normal conflict and abuse, and help you discover your love languages so you and your partner can best express your love to each other.;
Is Everybody Anxious?
In this episode, Christy and Lucas explore anxiety. Join them as they discuss the signs and symptoms of an anxiety disorder, what you can do to decrease your anxiety, and how to best help loved ones struggling with anxiety.;
Is Everyone Feeling Sad
In this episode, Christy and Lucas explore depression. Join them as they discuss the signs and symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder, what you can do to help yourself feel better, and what you can do to help your loved ones. They will talk about coping strategies, therapy interventions, and ways to help you identify when your child might need extra help.;
Change is Hard
Change is inevitable. Join Christy and Lucas as they explore big and small changes and how they impact you. Learn why change can be so hard, even good change, and discover ways to manage it effectively.;
We Need to Talk About Suicide
In this episode of "Is It Just Me," Christy and Lucas discuss the very important topic of suicide. Listen to learn about risk factors, warning signs, and what you can do to help a loved one who is struggling. Remember, you are not alone. If you need immediate assistance, call 911. If you need to talk to someone, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.;
Do We Need to Get Outside?
Join Lucas and Christy as they explore the power of spending time outdoors on mental and emotional well-being. Discover practical tips, personal anecdotes, and expert insights on the benefits of getting outside and reconnecting with nature.;
Exploring ADHD
In this episode of "Is It Just Me?" Lucas and Christy discuss ADHD, shedding light on its prevalence and impact on daily life. Learn practical strategies for managing symptoms and understand why your friend or loved one with ADHD does the things they do.;
Internet Safety and Mental Health
In this episode of "Is It Just Me?", join our hosts Christy and Lucas as they delve into the complex relationship between the internet and mental health. With the digital age bringing information and social connections to our fingertips, it also presents unique challenges and opportunities for our safety and psychological well-being.;
Boosting Self-Esteem: From Marathons to Daily Triumphs
In this episode of "Is It Just Me?", Christy and Lucas discuss how common it is for people to see themselves differently from others. Using their own personal triumphs and challenges as examples, they outline the things that shape our self-esteem. Additionally, they share simple daily practices to help listeners recognize and celebrate their own personal victories. This episode is filled with tips and engaging stories aimed at encouraging listeners to undertake challenges that foster self-growth and personal confidence.;
Therapy Unveiled: What to Know Before You Go
In this episode of "Is It Just Me," Lucas and Christy talk about what it's like to begin therapy. Feeling apprehensive about starting therapy is normal, but surmountable. Together, Lucas and Christy unravel common myths about therapy and emphasize the role of therapy in disrupting negative life patterns and routines that are no longer serving you.;
Coping with the Back-to-School Blues
In the latest episode of “Is It Just Me?” Christy and Lucas tackle the transition from leisurely summer days to structured school schedules with warmth and wisdom. This episode is a must-listen for parents seeking guidance and strategies to help navigate the shift with confidence. Learn how to handle changes in routine, the importance of communication, and strategies to help the entire family adjust to and embrace the new normal. Listening to this episode can be your first step toward making back-to-school a season of growth and positive change for all.;
The Art of Overcoming Trauma
In this month’s episode of the "Is It Just Me?" podcast, Lucas Mitzel and Christy Wilkie, Dakota Family Services, dive into the complexities of trauma and its therapy. The episode sheds light on Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and the importance of creating a trauma narrative as a cornerstone of healing. The thoughtful discussions aim to educate listeners on the intricacies of trauma, the innovative methods used in therapy, and the role of caregivers in the recovery process. Through expert insights and compassionate storytelling, Lucas and Christy provide practical advice and real-world examples for individuals who have experienced trauma.;
Navigating Life Through Mindfulness
In this episode of “Is It Just Me?”, Lucas and Christy delve into the world of mindfulness and relaxation techniques. From body scans to mindfulness exercises, they provide a soothing experience to help you unwind and distress. Discover practical tips and advice on incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine and learn how to prioritize mental well-being in today's fast-paced world.;
Mindfulness: Body Scan
In this special additional episode of “Is It Just Me” join therapist Lucas Mitzel as he gives listeners a transformative journey within their own body and mind. In this episode, Lucas guides listeners through a soothing body scan to promote calm, mindfulness, and inner peace. This episode offers a unique mixdown of gentle narration, and relaxation techniques, leaving you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and more connected to yourself.;