User:Tiger Daisy/Relationship obsessive–compulsive disorder

Add to signs and symptoms section (include information about compulsions that may be associated:

Partner-Focused Symptoms:

Another form of ROCD includes preoccupation, checking, and reassurance-seeking behaviors relating to the partner's perceived flaws or deficits. These perceived deficits tend to be related to appearance, sociability, intelligence and morality and have been described using the term partner-focused OC symptoms. These symptoms tend to manifest as intrusive thoughts, images, and/or urges related to the relationship. There is often a great deal of distress associated with these symptoms, as they contradict one's personal values and/or the subjective experience of the relationship. The individual views these symptoms as unacceptable and unwanted, invoking feelings of guilt and shame. People suffering with ROCD are often led to perform compulsions to deal with the significant distress. Compulsions may include constant reassurance seeking, being hyperaware of one's feelings, comparing their partners to other potential partners, and trying to visualize being happy with their partner. Recent investigations suggest partner-focused ROCD symptoms may also occur in the parent-child context. In such cases, parents may be overwhelmed by preoccupations that their child is not socially competent, good looking, moral or emotionally balanced enough. Such obsession are associated with increased parental stress and low mood.

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Treatment of ROCD symptoms often involve psycho-education about the disorder and the CBT model, exposure and response prevention (ERP) to feared thoughts or images and challenging of maladaptive relationship beliefs (e.g., believing that being in love means being happy all the time) and more common OCD beliefs such as perfectionism and intolerance of uncertainty. Additionally, working on social skills for relationships, such as conflict resolution and communication may be effective in reducing ROCD symtoms. Recently, mobile applications have been developed to assist therapists challenge maladaptive beliefs associated with OCD and ROCD symptoms.

Exposure and Response Prevention[edit]
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is a very common treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder, including ROCD. This psychological treatment modality that is a part of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), has been the most researched treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder and has been shown to be effective in reducing OCD symptoms in both children and adults. This treatment includes exposing patients to stimuli that are often avoided due to fear coupled with preventing them from engaging in fear-neutralizing rituals. If other people are involved in obsessions and compulsions, as often seen in ROCD, they also may be part of the treatment to uncouple the obsession and compulsion, as well as decrease overall OCD behaviors.