The Senses Are the Gatekeepers of OCD

The senses help us make inferences about the world. They let us know if we need to worry about any particular situation.

It’s always possible something awesome or terrible could happen, but until our senses tell us that a certain possibility is relevant to the current context (by providing us with direct evidence in the Here and Now), we don’t normally even think about possibilities!!

In OCD, we confuse imagination with reality. We treat possibility as reality but without taking in direct evidence from our senses. We need our senses to help shed light on what our reality is.

What Do We Mean by "The Senses"?

When we talk about the senses in OCD, we do include the five main senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell), but also include others such as common sense; internal sense data (emotions, intentions, desires); and the Real Self (values, every day actions, etc.)

Let's Look at Some Examples of Relevant vs Irrelevant Possibilities:

Maybe I could hit someone with my car. This is a relevant possibility to the current context if I see someone right in front of my moving car or I’m engaged in distracted driving or intoxicated. This is not a relevant possibility to the current context if I’m sober, well-rested, paying attention, and no one is in front of my car.

Maybe I could harm a child. This is a relevant possibility to the current context if I have desires and intention to harm a child. This is not a relevant possibility to the current context if do not have desires and intentions to harm a child.

Maybe this relationship isn’t the one for me. This is a relevant possibility to the current context if there is abuse, boundary violations, no longer intentions/desires to work on issues. This is not a relevant possibility to the current context if there are intentions and desires to remain in the relationship.

Maybe my hands aren’t clean. This is a relevant possibility to the current context if there are visual contaminants on hands/been around an ill person. This is not a relevant possibility to the current context if there is no direct evidence of dangerous germs/chemicals; there is nothing visual on hands.

Maybe I could cheat on my partner. This is a relevant possibility to the current context if there actual desire and intention to cheat. This is not a relevant possibility to the current context if there is no intention or desire to cheat.

What if I have lice? This is a relevant possibility to the current context if your scalp is itchy and someone in your home has lice. This is not a relevant possibility to the current context if your scalp is itchy and you don’t know anyone with lice. An itchy scalp could mean many things - you’d need additional sense data for this to be a relevant concern.

Here’s a Trick to Help You Decide If a Doubt is Reasonable or Obsessional:

Ask yourself: What evidence would I have to have in order to be 100% CERTAIN that this possibility is relevant right now?

Then ask: Do I have that evidence?

The evidence HAS to come from your senses; NOT your imagination.

I-CBT can help you (or your clients) learn how to trust the senses again and gain control over OCD.

Curious to learn more??

Check out our Self Help Course for those with OCD.
For clinicians - come learn with us at one of our live, virtual trainings or through our on demand I-CBT basic training.

Sources

O’Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician’s handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell