Can cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) help patients who don have obvious compulsions, such as “primary or “pure” obsessionals?”
Persons with so-called “pure” obsessions and intrusive thoughts suffer from persistent, unwanted and entirely uncharacteristic thoughts of possibly causing harm or danger to persons they care about, or of possibly being the opposite gender to their own (being “gay”). Extensive study of these patients confirms conclusively that there is no risk whatsoever of acting upon these thoughts. However, the doubts are literally tormenting and cause severe disruption to ones life, job and relationships. These patients can be helped significantly with cognitive-behavioral procedures including exposure and response prevention, it should be considered the treatment of choice for this form of OCD. When severe depression accompanies these symptoms, medication can often help in addition to CBT.
