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Understanding and treating incompleteness in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Laura J Summerfeldt1

  • 1Trent University, Department of Psychology, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. lsummerfeldt@trentu.ca

Journal of Clinical Psychology
|September 25, 2004
PubMed
Summary

The feeling of incompleteness is central to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be adapted, with behavioral habituation methods like exposure and ritual prevention (ERP) showing promise, though ongoing practice is key to preventing relapse.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often characterized by a pervasive sense of incompleteness.
  • This feeling of

Observation:

  • Incompleteness may stem from fundamental sensory-affective processing issues.
  • This presents significant challenges for standard cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) approaches.

Findings:

  • Cognitive-behavioral treatments for OCD can be adapted to address the core symptom of incompleteness.
  • Behavioral techniques, specifically exposure and ritual prevention (ERP), appear more effective than traditional cognitive strategies.
  • Even with ERP, long-term benefits may be modest, and relapse is likely without continued practice.

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Implications:

  • Clinicians can adapt CBT principles for patients experiencing incompleteness in OCD.
  • Exposure and ritual prevention (ERP) offers a viable, though not always curative, therapeutic avenue.
  • Sustained patient engagement with behavioral techniques post-treatment is crucial for maintaining gains and preventing relapse.