Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in Louisville KY can take many forms. On an individual level, a person’s obsessions and compulsions may center on a particular theme or content area often referred to as “subtypes.” It is not uncommon for an individual with OCD to have obsessions and compulsions from more than one subtype.

---

Seeking help in Louisville KY

A person’s obsessional themes may even differ from their compulsive subtypes. For example, someone who fears losing valuable items that were once in their possession may have various hand-washing or hygiene-related compulsions. This is one of the many reasons why so many individuals with OCD are misdiagnosed by their physician, therapist, or counselor. The connection or association between a person’s obsessions and compulsions appears mismatched or irrational, or the clinician has never heard of a particular theme or subtype.

Therefore, it is critical for a person to seek out an assessment from a specialist trained in discerning various presentations of anxiety and ritualistic behaviors to be properly diagnosed and treated. It is not uncommon for clinicians without this expertise to recommend or provide treatment approaches that can actually make OCD symptoms worse.

Each person has their own personal life experiences, educational background, socioeconomic status, genetic predispositions, spiritual or religious background, and cultural upbringing. Although individuals with OCD share general symptoms (i.e., the presence of obsessions and compulsions), the way their OCD is expressed is unique to their own experiences and life narratives. This can make it quite difficult to provide an exhaustive list of all the possible subtypes of OCD, but we’ll do our best to share the most common OCD themes we see at Reclaim Wellness Group.

---

common obsessive themes or subtypes
(in no particular order)

• Responsibility/checking OCD
• Postpartum OCD (perinatal mood and anxiety disorder [PMAD])
• Relationship-themed OCD
• “Just right” OCD
• Contamination OCD
• Harm OCD (harm to self and/or others)
• Sexual orientation OCD
• Moral scrupulosity OCD
• Religious OCD
• Existential OCD
• Pedophilia-themed OCD
• Health or illness-related OCD
• Sensory-focused OCD
• Hyperawareness OCD
• Emotional contamination OCD

---

common compulsive themes or subtypes
(in no particular order)

• Excessive washing
• Checking
• Ordering, making things symmetrical or in a particular way
• Counting
• Excessive confessing and apologizing
• Reassurance-seeking (from self, others, and online research)
• Excessive rumination and worry
• Excessive praying
• Food/dietary restrictions
• Avoidance of places, people or things that trigger distress
• Repetitive crossing of boundaries or thresholds
• Searching for hidden meanings in other’s words or gestures

---

Contact us

Contact us to find out if your fears, worries, and behaviors fit into an OCD framework.