{"id":114919,"date":"2019-09-12T11:00:25","date_gmt":"2019-09-12T10:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=114919"},"modified":"2023-03-08T17:16:57","modified_gmt":"2023-03-08T17:16:57","slug":"pure-o-pure-ocd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/pure-o-pure-ocd.htm","title":{"rendered":"Is “Pure O” Really a Thing? The Controversy Around Pure OCD"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"pure<\/a>

By: CHRISTO DRUMMKOPF<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/p>\n

Controlled by wild, intrusive thoughts <\/a>that cause you distress<\/a> on a daily basis? Secretly convinced you have Pure O?<\/p>\n

What is Pure O?<\/h2>\n

Pure O is a term made popular by the internet to describe a type of <\/strong>OCD<\/a> that consists only of obsessive thoughts, without any of the typical compulsive behaviours.<\/p>\n

But Pure O is not only not a clinical term — you cannot get an official diagnosis of ‘pure O’ \u2014 it also doesn’t really exist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is because Pure O is actually OCD, but in a good disguise!<\/strong>\u00a0You will have compulsions as well. It\u2019s just that they might not be as obvious as the compulsions most connected with obsessive compulsive disorder<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So a more appropriate term here might be ‘primarily obsessional OCD’.<\/p>\n

A quick review of OCD symptoms<\/h2>\n

An obsession is a repetitive, unpleasant thought that causes you distress.<\/strong> This can be a visual, a voice in your head, or a directive, a thought pushing you to impulsively do something.<\/p>\n

A compulsion is a repetitive action you feel you have to take, and you can\u2019t stop yourself from doing it.<\/p>\n

We all get distressing thoughts<\/a> now and then. <\/strong>For example, in the midst of a bad breakup<\/a>, we might have an intrusive thought about wanting to kill our ex. For a moment we feel terrible, then we recognise it’s just a thought and move on.<\/p>\n

With OCD, you can’t just let go of the negative thought<\/span><\/a>. Your mind attaches meaning to it, and you end up mired in anxiety<\/a><\/span> and upset. To escape the distress you act out a compulsion. And on the cycle goes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"pure

By: Derek Clark<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

A classic example here is if you have<\/strong> obsessive thoughts about germs being everywhere, waiting to make you sick. So you compulsively wash your hands to feel better.<\/p>\n

All about compulsions<\/h2>\n

The \u2018classic\u2019 OCD compulsions are<\/strong> things like hand washing, counting, hoarding<\/a>, checking, and arranging things.<\/p>\n

But not all compulsions are this obvious.\u00a0<\/strong>Common compulsions when you have Pure O can be:<\/p>\n