Colorful geothermal hot spring with orange, brown, and black mineral deposits, steam rising, green forested hills, and clear blue sky in the background.

  • Anxiety is generally defined as worry, nervousness, or fear, sometimes experienced as a result of uncertainty about a situation or the future. Sometimes, we can experience anxiety over seemingly no cause at all, and while most people experience anxiousness at some point in their lives, it starts to become a problem when it affects your relationships, job, self-esteem, thought life, and general quality of life.

    Sometimes, anxiety can be experienced as a result of a disorder known as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Broadly defined, OCD is characterized by obsessive, repetitive thoughts usually followed by a specific behavior performed in an attempt to decrease anxiety resulting from the thoughts. OCD can become debilitating, as it usually starts with the introduction of doubt. For instance, I may be driving to my job, and because I have taken the route so many times before, I “zone out,” and a few minutes later, I realize I’m almost at work. Next, the thought pops into my head, “There are 3 red lights on my way to work. I don’t remember if they were green or not. What if they weren’t? Did I run through 3 red lights? What if I hit someone along the way? I might have.” OCD then turns that fear of “what if” into “I probably did,” and then into, “I need to check.” When the individual goes back to check if he or she hit someone, the anxiety is typically relived for the moment, that is, until the next time he or she “zones out.”

    This cycle, or cycles like this, can be unending and exhausting. However, research points to the first-line treatment for anxiety disorders and OCD being “Exposure and Response Prevention” (ERP). In my practice of ERP, we attempt to make a list of all of the things anxiety and OCD tell us we need to fear, and we systematically create scenarios where we face the small things first, working up the big things, and in the end, attempt to help the person take back what he or she feels anxiety/OCD has robbed them of. I also incorporate various coping skills throughout the work in order to manage one’s current experience of anxiety and fear.

    While it is hard work, research indicates that this is one of the best ways we can fight anxiety and OCD, and if you’re willing, I’d love to help you in your fight against it.

    For additional resources, please check out the following:

    What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck by Dawn Huebner.

    The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD by Jon Hershfield

  • In general, we define neurodiversity or neurodivergency as a way of thinking that “diverges” from the “typical,” and diagnoses like Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) typically fall into this category. However, in my experience working with people, neurodivergency is much broader than a diagnosis and is much more common than we think because we don’t have a great working definition for what “neurotypical” is except for what societal norms name it as.

    Experiencing neurodivergency could be anywhere from a traditional “diagnosis” to having characteristics that make it harder for you to process information, feel “normal,” or regulate your emotions. It could also look like having strong sensory aversions or becoming much more easily “burnt out” than your friends and family. Clumsiness or always losing your keys because you can’t remember where you put them could also be signs of neurodiversity. That all being said, there are also some great advantages to being neurodivergent, which vary from person to person. These could include exceptional creativity, abilities to sense and pick up on emotions quickly, or an uncanny ability to remember details on a subject you’re really interested in.

    So all of this being said, how does this tie into therapy? Well, feeling “different” can often bring along with it a sense of feeling not good enough or like you don’t fit in. In reality, these “symptoms” have little to do with you and more to do with how our society expects someone to behave. Sitting still, organizing and prioritizing “to do” lists, and remaining present in the midst of busy background noises are things we as a society praise but ultimately end up making those of us who don’t “operate” this way feel like outcasts or “other.” Part of therapy then becomes exploring what unique elements of neurodiversity apply to us, advocating for and normalizing our differences, finding ways that work for YOU, and celebrating the skills and beauty of your own neurodiverse self.

    All in all, if any of this sounds like something that resonate with you, I would love to help you process and explore more, so please feel free to reach out with questions, for resources, or to book an appointment. Additionally, here are a few ways to get started on your own, but know that there are so many more resources than just these! And if you’ve got some resources you love, please feel free to share!

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