2024 · 30. May 2024
People with OCD can be ashamed of unwanted intrusive thoughts. However, OCD isn't characterised by the presence of intrusive thoughts; it is characterised by how you react to the thoughts. My latest column looks at the large body of research showing that pretty much everyone has experienced intrusive thoughts. The reality is there is no difference between the thoughts of a person with OCD and a person without OCD; the difference is in the way people react.
2024 · 22. February 2024
World-renowned CBT researcher and OCD expert Prof. Paul Salkovskis once asked therapists attending an OCD workshop to write down: ‘Today my partner (or best friend) will die in a car crash’. Only one third did this – the others changed the wording or said they were unable to do so. Clearly, many of us are prone to superstitious, magical thinking. My latest column explores the issue of thought-action fusion and details some simple exercises to test the power (or lack of power) of your thoughts.
2021 · 01. July 2021
What if I don’t really love my partner? What if my partner doesn't really love me? Is s/he "the one"? What if I am not as attracted to my partner as I should be? Would I be better off with someone else? Would s/he be better off with someone else? What if my partner doesn't know me well enough and realises too late I am not the person s/he thought I was?
This column explores relationship OCD, or ROCD, which is characterised by agonising doubts and uncertainty about your relationship.
2020 · 21. May 2020
Think of a loved one. If I asked you to write down and read out the following sentence – "I hope (name of your loved one) dies today in a car crash" – would you do it? This 'test' was originally designed for use with people with OCD, but most people (not just people with OCD) feel icky about it. My latest Southern Star column explores what's known as thought-action fusion and suggests that most of us are prone to taking our thoughts and feelings too seriously.
2019 · 29. August 2019
Unwanted intrusive thoughts can cause huge torment. Kinsale CBT therapist Linda Hamilton offers tips on how to rid them of their power.
2019 · 08. August 2019
Could I be a paedophile and not know it? What if I’m gay? What if I'm straight? CBT therapist Linda Hamilton explores the problem of intrusive thoughts and Pure OCD.