Author: Dr. Gabrielle Ciminera, PsyD, BCB

Gabby A dark, shadowy, and large presence looms over you. It follows you throughout your day, tormenting and threatening you. It tries to persuade you to complete its quests in exchange for   relief, one that ultimately results in more attacks. Each unwanted attack leads to a constant struggle with this entity as it both influences and consumes your entire life. You arm yourself with safety gear and weapons, hoping that your attempts to protect yourself will keep you from feeling pain – but ultimately these attempts are futile and further provoke the monster. The more you attend to it, the stronger and more aggressive it becomes, empowered by the sense of control and power it has over you. What is this creature called?…The OCD Monster. 

What are you noticing right now in your body? Maybe that narration caused your shoulders to feel tense, on guard as if you are ready to go into battle. Maybe your jaw is tight and your fists clenched as your body begins to go into a fight or flight mode. Maybe your heart is racing as you imagine yourself running from this creature. Check in with the emotions coming up for you right now – any anxiety, fear, or anger? 

What Is the OCD Monster? 

The term “OCD monster” is commonly used in mental health spaces to give those with OCD a label to encompass the way that OCD feels and negatively impacts their daily lives. Therapy patients are often told that by resisting the urge to do compulsions, you are “starving” or “fighting off” the OCD monster. This concept can have good intentions, motivating someone to have a sense of purpose and reason in their mind for why they are not engaging in compulsions. For some people with OCD, it may even feel validating to have OCD described as a monster because of the way it can determinately impact a person’s quality of life and in essence, feel like an attack. However, using the term “monster” may ultimately be more harmful than helpful. 

OCD As a Protector 

For many, the imagery of a monster triggers feelings of fear, anger, frustration, and aggression. It also may produce a physiological reaction of bracing or tensing against the idea of an upcoming battle or war. In this framing, therapists and patients may be viewing the brain as trying to attack them, as a monster would. However, the brain is actually wired to protect us. OCD is the result of an overactive amygdala, also known as the emotion center of the brain. The amygdala developed as an evolutionary process, protecting us from danger by sending us a signal that we need to do something to fight or flight from a threat (e.g., to run away from a wild animal). 

However, when this emotional part of our brain does not communicate with the rational thinking part of our brain, the brain may falsely misperceive OCD symptoms as a threat. The amygdala does not know the difference between a wild animal coming after us and OCD cues; it just signals “danger” and our bodies respond with energy to get us ready to protect ourselves. Therefore, obsessions and compulsions are our brain’s well-intended, but misguided attempt to protect us. As the amygdala continues to send all of these false alarm danger signals, no amount of logic and reasoning will give the brain what it needs to be 100% certain that there is no threat. The more we attempt to go on this journey of engaging with these false-alarm signals from our brain, the more likely the compulsions and obsessions persist. 

Therefore, while it may not feel like it, our brain is truly trying to protect us against something it is falsely perceived as a threat.

Implications of the OCD Monster 

For some people with OCD, viewing one’s brain as attacking them may result in feelings of self-blame, guilt, or increased frustration. This might perpetuate a cycle that results in discouragement from seeking therapy. This perspective can also lead to internalized negative beliefs about the self that further contribute to anxiety, depression, and shame associated with OCD. It also perpetuates an idea that people with OCD may have about their brain being “different” from everyone else and that their brain must be “crazy.” In actuality, the OCD brain is trying to protect you just like everyone else’s brain, except it sometimes thinks there is danger when there is not.

The title of monster also implies that OCD is something that can be stopped or conquered. Contrary to common misconceptions, that is not the goal of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold standard for OCD treatment. While anxiety may decrease over the course of treatment, the focus of ERP is learning to tolerate uncertainty rather than trying to get rid of anxiety. Intrusive thoughts and images are normal and everyone experiences them. Most people without OCD may be able to brush off these intrusive thoughts. However, when someone experiences OCD, these thoughts and images can get stuck and loop in repetition. 

ERP teaches patients with OCD that as we tolerate uncertainty and deem OCD symptoms to be irrelevant, the obsessions and compulsions will lose their power and control over us. In fact, an overemphasis or overfocus on the OCD symptoms may be counterproductive as the struggle with anxiety can perpetuate this OCD cycle. If we view OCD as a protector rather than a monster, we can practice more tolerance for the OCD symptoms rather than trying to fight against OCD in a self-perpetuating cycle. 

How to Replace the OCD Monster Myth: 

1. We can practice self-compassion by acknowledging that OCD is really difficult to manage and we are trying our best to navigate the ups and downs of  a challenging treatment. For example, we can say to ourselves, “I know my brain isn’t trying to hurt me right now, even though it really feels that way. I am going to be gentle with myself and my brain as I continue this OCD treatment.” Other strategies to foster self-compassion include: speaking to yourself like you would a friend, reframing negative self-talk and judgement, writing compassionate letters to yourself, or practicing mindfulness scripts rooted in compassion (i.e. the Loving Kindness meditation). 
2. We can give our brain a name, rather than calling it a monster. It can be helpful to pick a neutral name that does not have a negative connotation that may further contribute to negative self-talk cycles. For example, you might address your brain as “Patty” and let Patty know that you understand she is trying to protect you right now by telling you to wash your hands another time, but you will not listen to her right now. 
3. Using humor rather than aggression can help us defuse from OCD thoughts and acknowledge them lightly rather than struggling and fighting with the thoughts, perpetuating their power and control over us. Humor can bring levity to an often burdensome struggle with OCD and empower us to take back some of the control that OCD can have over us. 
4. We can try thanking our brain for its attempts to protect us, though they are misguided and unnecessary. While at first it may seem difficult to thank our brains for doing something that ultimately feels like it is hurting us, practicing gratitude toward our brain for trying to protect us can help alleviate some of the negative emotions associated with OCD. Take notice of how you feel afterwards – it might feel uncomfortable or even unnatural at first, but you also might notice that you feel less anxious or angry or shameful than you did when you were calling it the OCD monster. 

• Reframing the narrative helps us to learn that we can have a different relationship with OCD – a relationship that is not marked by a war against our own brain, but rather an acceptance and appreciation for our brain’s attempt to protect us. Once we can understand and utilize language that supports this premise, we can show our brain that its attempts to protect us are irrelevant and that there was never really a war or a monster to begin with. 

Everyone reacts differently and treatment is not a one-size-fit-all approach, so pay attention to what makes the most sense on your journey with OCD treatment. Consider how the framing around how you understand OCD is impacting you and if there is any room to change that narrative to help you with your treatment. If you’re struggling with OCD, know that you are not alone—with the right tools and support, it is possible to step out of the cycle of fear and compulsions and begin living a more meaningful, fulfilling life. At CBT for Better Living, we specialize in evidence-based approaches like Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help you navigate OCD with compassion and courage.