Patients and parents have asked me about the difference between HOCD and denial, in terms of sexuality. These terms are both used frequently in social media and online circles but are not necessarily terms used clinically when it comes to sexual orientation, psychiatry, or developmental pediatrics. What is HOCD? HOCD,...
Intrusive Thoughts Vs Impulsive Thoughts
Intrusive Thoughts Vs Impulsive Thoughts TikTok videos tagged with #intrusivethoughts have garnered over 796 million views as of this writing, including both people conflating impulsive thoughts such as wanting to dye their hair with real intrusive ones that involve things as scary as violence or racism. While such confusions may...
OCD Books Recommended by a Psychiatrist
OCD books to check out Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is considered a mental health disorder. Everyone at some time becomes compulsive about some routine or they have thoughts or images that make us feel extremely uncomfortable to actually feeling distressed. However, if these feelings become overwhelming or the cycle results...
Most Important Mental Health Facts
Did you know one in 25 adults in the US alone experiences a severe mental illness in a given year? On a global scale, these mental health facts are staggering. Mental health significantly impacts our psychological and emotional wellbeing. As mental illnesses are becoming more common it helps to know...
How Compulsive Behavior Relates to OCD
To some extent, many of us suffer from some forms of compulsive behavior. This could be anything ranging from an innocent focus on making sure your door is locked or on cleaning stains on your clothes to dangerous compulsions such as compulsive hand-washing, cleaning, gambling, hoarding, or shopping. Dangerous compulsions...
What are the Causes of Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
Causes of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Children Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) presents in childhood or adolescence in about 50% of all cases. It is a disorder that his known to cluster in families and have a strong genetic component. It is estimated that about 1 to 3% of the population in the...