Written and clinically reviewed By Dr Elaine Ryan Chartered Psychologist specialising in OCD and anxiety disorders, with over 20 years’ clinical experience.
Updated on
Dr Elaine Ryan
What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is conscious of what is taking place in your environment, your thoughts, feelings and sensations in your body, in the present moment, without judging yourself or the situation. Mindfulness is not part of any religion; it does not require unique clothes or equipment. You do not have to clear your mind, … Read more
Yesterday was unusual because I struggled a bit with lockdown and felt lonely. That was unusual for me as the older I get, the more content I am spending time alone, and I am naturally quiet as a person. I am self-isolating at home with my dog, as I have mild asthma. I left the … Read more
Cognitive reframing, also known as cognitive restructuring, is a psychological technique to help you look at a situation differently. In light of the current global pandemic, I thought it would be useful to help you to use cognitive reframing with coronavirus. Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power … Read more
I have been updating some articles on MoodSmith, relating to OCD, specifically contamination, and decided it would be more helpful to write my thoughts on the implications of the coronavirus and OCD. I think the most significant difficulty with the coronavirus and OCD is that proper handwashing and being aware of cross-contamination is necessary to stay … Read more
If you have OCD, your thoughts and images that cause you so much distress are more than likely not correct. You are probably making mistakes in your thinking, known as thinking errors or cognitive distortions. If you have OCD, your thoughts and images that cause you so much distress are more than likely not correct. You are probably making mistakes in your thinking, known as thinking errors or cognitive distortions.
I’ve been getting a few questions about ‘Spectrum HOCD’ and decided the best way to answer some of the questions was to write a post. I need to start by saying that HOCD in itself is not what we call a formal diagnosis. It does not appear in DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) … Read more