ACT Therapy for OCD

Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for OCD at Icarus

Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder can feel like an endless cycle of intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. ACT Therapy for OCD offers a new way of thinking – accepting those inner struggles without fighting against them, thus regaining control over your life and values.

The Icarus New Mexico health care providers have helped countless people overcome unwanted thoughts and reduce OCD symptoms. Our JCAHO-certified Albuquerque mental health treatment center offers help with OCD spectrum disorders and related disorders, if any co-occur.

Getting treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can help restore a stable daily life and offer new hope for a brighter future. We invite you to keep reading to learn how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be incredibly effective treatment for OCD symptoms.

Using ACT Approaches for Successful OCD Treatment

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy takes a holistic approach to treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder spectrum conditions. ACT sessions allow clients to observe and accept their thoughts. This mindful state helps the person live in the present moment. Over time, ACT therapy techniques can help the individual stop engaging in compulsions.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Manages the Obsessive Thoughts of OCD

The intrusive thoughts associated with OCD are often irrational and almost always repetitive. These are hallmark traits of OCD. ACT therapy for OCT teaches people to view these thoughts merely as mental events, not a truth that requires an immediate response or action. The cognitive diffusion and mindfulness techniques teach people with OCD to create a buffer zone between themselves and the obsessions.

ACT Manages OCD’s Compulsive Behaviors

People with OCD symptoms perform compulsive or repetitive actions to ease the anxiety coming from their obsessive thoughts. ACT therapy for OCD helps resist those urges by staying present and acting according to their values. It takes practicing with a therapist, but it can help break the cycle of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Some usual compulsions people must overcome are:

• Repetitive behaviors: Excessive cleaning or washing; checking things; locking doors; rearranging or putting things in order; counting objects; or fantasizing about subjective units of measurement
• Mental compulsions: Asking for reassurances; repeating mantras or prayers; mental avoidance of certain topics; imagining and replaying scenarios; mentally reviewing or replaying past events

OCD obsessions are mental and physical responses to inner experiences of panic or anxiety that drives the behaviors.

ACT Focuses on Staying Grounded in the Moment

The mindfulness integrated into ACT therapy for OCD helps people learn to stay present in the here and now. That mindful presence restores calm and clear thinking instead of becoming consumed by imagined or hypothetical outcomes.

An ACT Therapist May Apply Other Behavioral Therapy Strategies

ACT therapy is exceptionally beneficial for OCD. However, some therapists may also incorporate additional behavioral therapy strategies, such as exposure therapy. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is one complementary strategy they may include. Using both techniques, with ACT as the primary approach, can enhance treatment by desensitizing the client’s triggers while also reinforcing the need to stay present.

Core Benefits of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT teaches clients skills for acknowledging and observing their distressing thoughts and reducing the obsessions that result. A better understanding of this process and its long-term benefits further explains why Acceptance and Commitment Therapy works so effectively in the treatment of OCD.

Psychological Flexibility

Psychological flexibility is the ability to adapt to any challenges you experience in life. ACT aims to help people view complicated thoughts and feelings with acceptance, no matter what challenges the person may face in the future.

‘Sarah,’ was a single mom forced to juggle work and her children. Learning mental flexibility helped manage her OCD. She uses the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy tools learned at Icarus New Mexico to stay calm when overwhelming thoughts or situations threaten her inner peace. With newfound flexibility, Sarah learned to stay calm when she had unrealistic thoughts or anxiety about her children’s well-being.

Supporting Personal Values

While ACT helps to treat OCD, it also supports one’s core values. ACT therapy helps people take committed action to better align their behaviors with their dreams and goals. With the disruptive thoughts and compulsions removed, the person can work on taking committed action to better align their personal values.

As an artist, ‘Jason’ often found himself stuck in OCD-related perfectionism. Being a perfectionist eroded both his creative passion and his core value of free expression. ACT helped Jason focus less on the disruptive thoughts of getting every piece perfect and helped him see “flaws” in his work as part of his unique artistic style.

Reducing the Avoidance that Worsens Mental Health Conditions

Many people with OCD symptoms avoid dealing with their distressing thoughts and endless obsessions – it’s a default response. But OCD can worsen the impact of avoidance. ACT emphasizes non-judgmental acceptance, which can help override avoidance and help people view their inner turmoil as just thoughts.

‘Sam’ avoided dating because of their fear of germs and repetitive hand sanitizing behaviors. ACT helped her gain a mindset of acceptance. They learned to visualize her obsessive thoughts as clouds passing over their head instead of as a demand that needed immediate action. They gradually gained the confidence to dive back into the dating pool.

Increased Mindfulness

Mindfulness helps people in treatment for OCD gain awareness of their anxiety levels, bodily sensation, and internal reactions to stress. Focusing on these mental or physical sensations in the present helps them avoid acting on them through compulsive behaviors.

‘Miguel,’ a college student, struggled with OCD. It was especially hard to handle during stressful times like his college’s mid-terms or final exam weeks. The mindfulness and acceptance practices Miguel learned in ACT therapy helped him acknowledge the passing thoughts and stay present while preparing for exams.

New Coping Skills to Manage Stress

Managing stress well is a must-have skill when it comes to managing the anxiety and panic disorder symptoms that lead to the behaviors of obsessive-compulsive disorder. In ACT, people work on identifying values, mindfulness exercises, and finding other practical tools for symptom reduction in daily life.

‘Emily’ is an EMT, working daily in a high-stress life-or-death job. The job stress got even worse because of Emily’s OCD behavior of repetitive door checking. ACT therapy gave Emily the tools to manage her unfounded fear that the ambulance door would somehow fling open (it had never happened!). Instead, she learned to focus on her personal values of serving her community.

More Positive Relationships with Family and Friends

Acceptance and commitment therapy helps improve communication skills, reducing misunderstandings or conflicts with family or friends. The ACT therapist is teaching the client more than ACT for OCD; they’re also giving them a way to ignore disruptive thoughts and stay present during essential conversations.

‘Daniel’ was looking for a job and living at home with his parents after college graduation. The family had difficulty having conversations with Daniel because of his OCD behaviors. ACT therapy helped Daniel observe the anxiety-ridden thoughts and dismiss them before acting on them. The mindfulness techniques he learned in ACT therapy helped improve his relationships with his family members. He also used his new tools to stay more focused during job interviews and found a great new career opportunity.

OCD Symptoms Are Not the Same as Anxiety Disorders

OCD and anxiety disorders share some similarities, but they’re distinct from one another. Most people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) experience anxious thoughts that drive their intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Most with anxiety or panic disorders have intrusive thoughts; but, unlike OCD, they do not act on them.

This table shows the overlap and differences in symptoms between OCD and anxiety:

SYMPTOM	OCD SYMPTOMS	ANXIETY SYMPTOMS
Intrusive thoughts	x	x
Compulsive behaviors	x
Excessive worry		x
Fearing specific situations		x
Physical symptoms	x	x
Avoidance behaviors	x	x
Obsession with symmetry/order	x
Panic attacks		x
Seeking reassurance	x
Restlessness		x

ACT Therapy Techniques Applied to a Real-Life Example

‘Roberto,’ a past Icarus New Mexico client, is a 30-year-old teacher who had struggled with OCD for years. Intrusive thoughts about germs and contamination dictated his days. He washed his hands at least 40 times daily. The handwashing and germ obsession often meant avoiding social gatherings. He wouldn’t even hug loved ones because of his fear of catching an illness.

Roberto learned that ACT therapy works during his time at Icarus New Mexico. His therapist taught him mindfulness and acceptance practices. For the first time in his life, Roberto saw his obsessive thoughts as fleeting mental events. He’s gained a new acceptance that they’re thoughts, not facts. That realization started reducing obsessions and helped him wash his hands fewer times each day.

He also learned more about his personal values, which included becoming a better teacher, son, and brother. A solid understanding of his values motivated him even more to spend time on meaningful things and less time acting on obsessions.

Roberto still has some OCD symptoms. But now, he has the tools to manage the thoughts when they appear and continues to focus on his family and students. He also plans to work on improving his social life soon, in at least a year; he’s sure he’ll be more confident by then.

What is the Effectiveness of ACT Treatment?

An empirical review published in the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science has found that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an effective behavioral intervention. Further, they found that not only can it treat OCD, it can also help with other behavioral challenges, including substance abuse.

Why is it important to know that ACT is both OCD-effective and helpful for substance use?

Because many who struggle with OCD also have co-occurring substance use disorders. Instead of seeking the best therapy, some turn to substances to self-treat OCD. Because ACT helps both conditions, it’s a frequent go-to for clients who need dual diagnosis treatment options.

Seeking Professional Treatment for OCD at Icarus

Trying ACT for OCD can be a game changer, helping people turn their entire lives around and break out of the chains of OCD. But while ACT helps restore healthy behaviors, it takes a team of expert healthcare providers to fully meet all therapy goals. The ACT group at Icarus New Mexico is one such team!

Receive Treatment Options in an Upscale Setting

Icarus New Mexico offers Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in a luxurious, safe, supportive environment. Our treatment facility has been designed with intention. We’ll make you feel comfortable, respected, and cared for during your entire OCD healing journey.

Insurance Specialists Ensure Affordable but Effective Treatment

Many call us with a sincere concern: Are the costs associated with receiving Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) covered by my health insurance? The response lies in a two-part answer. Yes, mental health services, including ACT for OCD, are covered by insurance plans; however, they must be considered medically necessary by a licensed treatment provider.

The best way to handle this complex issue is to call our admissions representative today. We have extensive experience helping our clients get their mental health treatment services approved by insurance companies. We’ll be happy to make those phone calls to your insurance company and get your pre-authorizations out of the way.

Well-qualified Clinical Team and Therapists

Our entire clinical team is well-qualified and licensed. Our doctor can oversee your medication management, prescribing FDA-approved medications for OCD and monitoring the effectiveness of it and any other prescriptions you take.

Our counselors and therapists have extensive knowledge of both Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for OCD treatment. You will receive a customized therapy program that addresses your specific needs.

Connect with Icarus New Mexico for OCD Treatment Today

The Icarus New Mexico team understands how much living with OCD disrupts your daily life. We also know how ACT helps manage the disruptive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

If you are ready to try ACT therapy for OCD, our team can provide the support you need.

Call us confidentially today for proven OCD support program options.