Therapists In Denver And Nearby Specializing In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Checking- Individuals who experience this subtype perform checking rituals to relieve distress from events that may not be as severe, may not have happened or could have happened as typical.

Common obsessions of Checking OCD:

Doubt of not having locked home doors
Anxiety of accidentally leaving a household appliance turned on, such as a stove or oven
Fear of leaving water taps on, on accident
Panic of losing personal items, such as a wallet or purse
Fear of having written or said something incorrectly or inappropriately
Fear of a disaster taking place

Common compulsions of Checking OCD:

Repeatedly checking locks on car, home, room and/or office
Repeatedly checking one’s stove and oven to ensure they are turned off
Repeatedly checking faucets to ensure they are off
Repeatedly ensuring personal items are with them
Repeatedly seeking reassurance that what was said/sent was appropriate and accurate 

Cleaning and Contamination- These individuals may be separated between those who fear harm through contamination and those who feel discomfort through contamination without fear of harm.

Common obsessions of Cleaning and Contamination OCD:

Fear of being contaminated with germs that may cause harm to oneself or a loved one
Worry of contaminating others with own germs

Common compulsions of Cleaning and Contamination OCD:

Excessively washing of hands in order to feel clean from dirt and germs

Sometimes in a ritualistic manner by washing each individual finger/fingernail
May not turn off tap with bare heads, will instead use paper towel or other item

Excessively engaging in ritualized toothbrushing, grooming or bathing
Excessive use of hand sanitizer in between handwashing
May wear gloves, tissues or other items to open doors or touch items in public
Avoiding touching others, including during handshakes
Avoiding going to certain places due to fearing contamination 

Symmetry and Ordering- Individuals with this subtype experience uncomfortable obsessions and perform compulsions surrounding the way items are arranged and/or with things that appear asymmetrical. These individuals may perform rituals because they receive sudden urges or just because they “feel right.”

Common obsessions of Symmetry and Ordering OCD:

Discomfort when confronted about items being misaligned or out of place
Fear something harmful may happen to oneself or a loved one if objects aren’t perfectly organized and/or even

Ex: pillows at home and pencils at work

Extreme desire for symmetry and experience intense anxiety over asymmetry

Scratching both sides of face an even amount of time/space
Waking with the same pressure each time they take a step
Holding objects in both hands with the same amount of pressure

Overreaction to items being or seeming asymmetrical

Common compulsions of Symmetry and Ordering OCD:

Arranging objects symmetrically and in a specific order

Ex: arranging shoes in a closet by color and cans in a pantry by alphabetical order

Avoiding certain areas/rooms that contain symmetrical lines and geometric shapes that may cause an urge to trace with their eyes

Ex: tiles in a restroom

Organizing objects so they are evenly spaced out from one another
Repeating tasks until there are no more visible asymmetries or imperfections

Ex: rewriting words so they have the exact same style, rewriting sentences to have the same number of letters on each line

Completing task the same amount on one side as the other to “even up” behavior

Ex: scratching other side of face the exact amount of time as the other, tapping the same amount on one side of the table as the other

Organizing objects to a specific order and acquiring more if there “aren’t enough” or getting rid of some if there are “too many” to get them “just right” 

Hoarding- Individuals with this OCD subtype may carry out compulsions caused by the fear of something harmful happening to oneself or a loved one if something is thrown out and/or may feel emptiness after getting rid of an object. They may also be completing tasks in accordance with a “magic number.”

Common obsessions of Hoarding OCD:

Fears that something harmful may happen to oneself or loved ones if something is discarded
Fear of running out of items if too many are thrown away
Experience a feeling of emptiness or incompleteness if something is thrown away

Individuals may keep items they do not use regularly because of memories associated with them or because they may need them in the future

Ex: childhood toys

Intense feelings to abide by a “magic number”

Ex: buying items in multiples of 6 because that is the individuals “magic number”

Severe anxiety when attempting to get rid of items although they may feel embarrassed of possessions
Indecisiveness on what items to keep and where to categorize/organize them
Fears related to contamination

Individuals may not pick up items from the floor because they may be contaminated
Individuals may become suspicious that others are touching their possessions

Common compulsions of Hoarding OCD:

Purchasing all of the items that a person has touched in a store to keep others from being contaminated
Saving nonessential items that won’t be needed in the future

Ex: opened mail, newspapers, clothing that no longer fits, old food

Purchasing items in multiples to abide to a person’s magic number
Collecting items in an isolated area because they are contaminated and should not be touched by others 

Intrusive Thoughts- This subtype may also be known as Purely Obsessional OCD (Pure O). Individuals with this subtype engage in hidden, mental compulsions that typically surround romance, sexuality, violence, health, faith and responsibility.

Common obsessions of Intrusive Thoughts OCD:

Fear of harming oneself, a loved one or a stranger
Fear of not being loved or good enough by/for your partner
Fear of having a different sexuality than the one you currently identify with
Fear of offending a god, your religion or your religious community

Common compulsions of Intrusive Thoughts OCD:

Thinking that you are a bad person and fearing that others will think you are a bad person as well
Having violent, sexual and other inappropriate thoughts towards oneself, a loved one or a stranger
Avoiding places, events, items and people that are related to intrusive thoughts experienced
Seeking reassurance from church, family and/or community about the conclusions you determine are the causes for your thoughts

Symptoms and Signs
Individuals with OCD experience a “better safe than sorry” mindset in an attempt to prevent damage or harm. They may experience behaviors and compulsions multiple, even hundreds, of times a day that may cause a significant impact in the life of someone affected. Symptoms of OCD typically begin gradually and may vary in severity throughout life as they may come and go, reduce over time, or worsen. The following list is not a complete list of symptoms, as other symptoms may be associated with these OCD as well.

Fear of being contaminated by germs from objects that others have touched
Hand-washing until skin becomes raw
Spending an excessive amount of time washing, cleaning or organizing
Repeating tasks in certain patterns

Counting, tapping, other senseless things to reduce anxiety

Unwanted thoughts

Aggressive or terrifying thoughts about harming yourself or others

Doubting that you completed important tasks and excessively checking to make sure it was completed

Locking the front door, turning off appliances

Avoiding situations that may trigger an obsession or compulsion
Feeling extreme distress when items aren’t symmetrical or organized in a specific way
Accumulating unnecessary items

Newspapers, empty food containers

Inability to break routines or rituals

Getting Support with OCD
OCD can be successfully treated today through various methods, including therapy and counseling. The therapists displayed below specialize in treating clients with OCD, are credentialed with various insurance companies, and have varied availability to meet most client needs.