![]() Overall, some of the most common types of OCD include: In reality, OCD has several subtypes and it’s possible for a sufferer to have OCD that focuses on anything. Oftentimes, the general public and pop culture assume that OCD is solely about organization, cleanliness, and germs but that’s only one subtype (Contamination OCD). Some sufferers have only one type of OCD (such as Sexual Orientation OCD or Self-Harm OCD) while others suffer from more than one subtype. The context of these thoughts are determined by the subset of OCD. In this way, it’s like a wolf in sheep’s clothing: It’s an anxiety enhancer disguised as a coping mechanism. In short, avoidance validates the fears, only making the fears worse. The takeaway is that avoiding anxiety (or the things that trigger it) reinforces the underlying fears that drive the anxiety to begin with. A teenager who avoids conversing with their parent reinforces the idea that their parent shouldn’t know anything about their life, making that relationship less comfortable in the process. ![]() Someone who avoids getting their teeth cleaned reinforces the idea that dental visits are scary or painful. In the general population, an advertising exec who avoids calling a demanding client reinforces the idea that confrontation is a bad thing. Someone with panic disorder may avoid elevators, which reinforces the idea that closed spaces are cause for emotional chaos. Someone with a fear of heights may avoid ladders or roofs, which reinforces the idea that heights are dangerous. Someone with social anxiety may avoid parties, which reinforces that gatherings are linked to risk of personal embarrassment. In keeping with the previous examples, someone with eating disorders may avoid high-calorie or high-fat food, which reinforces the eating disorder and worsens their relationship with food. But when it’s done as a matter of routine, attempting to avoid distress can actually make that distress worse. A teenager who has a nosy parent may avoid conversing with their parent in fear that they’ll pry to a discomforting degree.Īs noted above, in moderation this appears pretty benign and isn’t something likely to affect wellbeing. Someone who fears the dentist may avoid getting their teeth cleaned because drills or needles elicit anxiety. For instance, an advertising exec with a demanding client may avoid calling that client, knowing the conversation won’t be pleasant. In the general public, avoidance is common as well as people may avoid all sorts of things that cause minor to major distress. People with panic disorder may avoid elevators for fear that the closed space will cause terror. People with a fear of heights may avoid ladders or roofs for fear that they’ll be scared of falling. People with social anxiety may avoid parties for fear that they’ll do something to embarrass themselves. Avoiding discomfort, especially habitually, approaches the boundary between healthy avoidance and unhealthy avoidance.įor example, people with eating disorders may avoid particular foods (such as those that are high in fat or high in calories) for fear that those foods will cause weight gain. ![]() While this type of avoidance is also human, it is different than avoiding exposure to toxins or avoiding a traffic jam. We may avoid conflict with neighbors by keeping quiet when they let their grass grow two feet tall, we may avoid confronting our boss when he takes credit for our work, we may avoid talking about politics with our father-in-law. ![]() We even avoid things to our detriment (such as avoiding the gym because we’d rather sleep in on a snowy winter morning).Īvoidance is part of our lives because avoidance is part of the human experience.īut, sometimes, this means avoiding things that make us uncomfortable. Other times, we engage in avoidance as an attempt to avoid inconvenience or hassle. Sometimes, we avoid things because we want to avoid danger. We may avoid that gut-wrenching Sarah McLachlan animal shelter commercial by changing the channel each time it comes on. We may avoid annoying housework by Facetiming friends instead. We may avoid a particular route on the highway because we know it’s always backed up during rush hour. We may avoid eye contact with a coworker so that we don’t have to hear about her cats. We may avoid cigarettes because of the health consequences of tobacco.
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