How does OCD affect the brain?

Giving in to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms may temporarily ease anxiety, but it will worsen symptoms over time. Jerry Bubrick, PhD, explains how this is much like giving your lunch money to the school bully.

Transcript

00:00

When they give into their symptoms and they do something to get rid of anxiety, it temporarily makes them feel less anxious.

00:08

But in the long run, it makes the anxiety worse and makes the reliance on their needs to do those rituals greater.

00:14

[MUSIC PLAYING]

00:21

Well, we talk about OCD as being like a bully in the brain because it functions just like a bully would.

00:28

So if I'm a big, strong bully and I've got big scary muscles, and I come to you and I say, give me $5 or I hurt you,

00:36

and if you're afraid of me and you really think I'm capable of hurting you, then you're going to give me the money. And I'm going to go--

00:42

I'll be happy then and go spend it. And while I've gone to spend it, you're kind of feeling better because I'm no longer in your presence. I'm no longer a threat to you.

00:50

[MUSIC PLAYING] But when the money runs out, I'm going to come back to you and ask you for more. And the more you give me, the stronger

00:58

I get and the weaker you feel. [MUSIC PLAYING] So we tell kids-- we kind of conceptualize it

01:05

in that way for kids so they can understand that when they give into their symptoms and they do something to get rid of anxiety,

01:13

it temporarily makes them feel less anxious. But in the long run, it makes the anxiety worse and makes the reliance on their needs

01:21

to do those rituals greater. So it really is like giving into a bully in their brain.