OCD Anxiety Worksheet
By
HappierTherapy
Author bio
The Happier Therapy editorial team is made up of Masters and PhD counselling psychologists. Each worksheet is created by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The worksheet then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
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What is the theory behind this OCD Anxiety Worksheet?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is characterised by recurrent intrusive obsessive thoughts that are followed by ritualistic compulsive behaviours. These obsessions and compulsions cause significant distress and disruption in daily functioning. One way to deal with the resulting anxiety is to refocus one’s attention from the meanings attached to the obsessive thoughts and delay the compulsive response as long as possible.
How will the worksheet help?
The worksheet will help clients practise the ‘15 minute rule’, which is a self help strategy that helps refocus one’s attention and resist the OCD symptoms. It gradually trains the individual to be mindful of their obsessive thoughts and make an active effort to delay the resulting compulsive rituals by diverting their attention.
How to use the worksheet?
This worksheet can be provided to clients whose OCD diagnosis can be managed with self-help techniques. The ‘15 minute rule’ requires the client to delay their compulsions for at least 15 minutes by diverting their attention to any other activity as soon as the obsessive thought occurs. Instruct them to list down activities that can help them refocus. They should also track and evaluate their progress.
