OCD

OCD & Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Basic Guidelines 

 Understanding OCD 

OCD makes your mind warn you about danger and urge you to act (check, clean, count, avoid). The more you obey those rules, the stronger OCD becomes. ACT helps you unhook from those thoughts instead of trying to erase them. 

ACT’s Core Message 

You don’t have to control your thoughts and feelings — you can choose actions based on your values. ACT focuses on changing your relationship with thoughts rather than eliminating them. 

Key Skills You’ll Practice 

Defusion:

Notice thoughts as mental events — 'I’m having the thought that…' instead of believing them as facts. Acceptance: Make room for discomfort. Fighting anxiety keeps it alive — let it rise and fall naturally. 

Present-Moment Awareness:

Stay grounded in what’s happening now using your senses or slow breathing. 

Values: 

Ask, 'If OCD weren’t in charge, what would I be doing differently?' Let those values guide your actions. Committed Action: Take small steps toward what matters, even when anxiety shows up. 

■ Remember Anxiety ≠ danger. Thoughts ≠ facts. Urges ≠ commands. You can feel anxious and still live meaningfully. 

■ My Values (what matters to me): ...

■ My Small ACT Steps (things I’ll practice even when anxious): ...