Anxiety & Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Anxiety: emotion serving as an adaptive response to threatening/harmful stimuli/situations or stress 

Panic Attack: an abrupt, temporary flood of intense fear that causes palpitations, sweating, trembling, chest pain, and/or nausea

Derealization: feelings of detachment from reality, as if one is an observer of a world that is not real

Depersonalization: feeling detached from one's body and mind, experiencing one's thoughts and actions in a dreamlike state of separation

• Most prevalent mental disorder (30%) and most common in adolescence (Morin, 2024).

• "GAD affects 6.8 million adults or 3.1% of the U.S. population, yet only 43.2% are receiving treatment" (ADAA, 2022).

• As of 2007, "36% of people with social anxiety disorder report - experiencing symptoms for 10 or more years before seeking help" (ADAA, 2022).

• "Women are 3x more likely to be affected by OCD than men; 1/3 of affected adults first experienced symptoms in childhood" (ADAA, 2022)

Anxiety disorders - facts & statistics. (2022). Anxiety & Depression Association of America. Retrieved October 16, 2024, from https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics 

Morin, A. (2024). Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. [PowerPoint slides]. Microsoft PowerPoint. https://kodiak.wne.edu/d2l/le/content/114052/viewContent/1695966/View 

Obsessions: recurrent, persistent thoughts, urges, and/or images that are unwanted that cause anxiety/distress

Compulsions: repetitive behaviors/mental acts that the individual feels driven to perform in  response to thoughts intended to decrease anxiety

Virtual reality therapy: Using VR to treat addiction. (2019, February 14). ARPost. Retrieved November 14, 2024, from https://arpost.co/2019/02/14/virtual-reality-therapy-vr-treat-addiction/ 

Audience: Client 

Condition: Hoarding 

Age Range/Population: Pediatrics, Young Adult, Adult, Geriatrics

Purpose: This sorting task aims to assist the client in developing crucial decision-making abilities by distinguishing between essential and non-essential objects. Rather than confronting her actual hoarding situation directly, the client is encouraged to improve prioritization through this activity. The client can interact with the concepts of sorting and prioritization without feeling emotionally overwhelmed by her own belongings when the activity is presented in an entertaining and conceptual manner. This method lessens the client's initial feelings of worry or discomfort when she looks at her own living space and instead helps her understand the meaning of the things she decides to keep or remove. Making choices away from her home environment allows the client to start to address underlying thought patterns and emotional triggers that contribute to the hoarding behavior. The structure of this activity encourages the client to conceptualize the idea of limited space and resources, creating an opportunity to practice mindfulness and form a more balanced relationship with possessions.

Instructions: The client will have a pile of item cards (ex. household items, artwork, miscellaneous) with the option of placing the items into their island and the boat. The client has unlimited spots on the boat, but only 10 slots on the island to which they can add items. The client would then be asked to reflect on why they chose which items to stay and which to go and how the process of choosing items was for them.

• Basic items that a person would need such as food, water, etc. are accounted for and would not count towards the 10 slots on the island.

• Questions to ask: 

  • Why did you choose certain items over others? Did any items stick out more than others?

  • Which items did you notice first?

  • How did this process make you feel (eg. Distressed, relieved)?

  • If there was anything that was not pictured here that you would want to swap out for an item on the island? Why?

Rationale & Impact on Function: The primary goal of this activity is to help the client improve her ability to distinguish between what she truly needs and what is more emotionally driven or unnecessary. This process of reflection will encourage her to assess the emotional attachment or practical value she places on certain objects. By understanding why she chooses to prioritize certain items over others, the client can gain deeper insight into the reasons behind her hoarding tendencies. This newfound clarity can serve as a motivational tool, helping the client set the foundation for future decluttering efforts. As the client becomes more comfortable with making decisions about what to keep or discard, she can develop a stronger sense of control over her surroundings.