How to Deal with OCD Related Intimacy Issues

1
HOW TO DEAL
WITH OCD-RELATED INTIMACY ISSUES _______________
How OCD can Hinder Relationships and How You Can
Cope
2
AN INTRODUCTION TO OCD

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a personality
  disorder in which patients exhibit obsessive
  thoughts that cause extreme distress or anxiety,
  as well as the compulsion to perform rituals or
  tasks in order to keep this anxiety at bay.

• While there are many different forms of OCD, many
  of those diagnosed with the condition feel
  dissatisfied with their relationships and sex
  lives, and the disorder is the catalyst.

3
COMMON SEXUAL DYSFUNCTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH OCD

• Those with OCD often complain they experience one
  or more of the following symptoms when it comes
  to their sex life and intimacy in relationships
• Difficulty becoming aroused
• Feeling disconnected from their partner
• A low or non-existent sex drive
• A fear of intimacy or having sex
• Obsessive thoughts about sexual topics and
  activities

4
COMMON SEXUAL DYSFUNCTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH OCD

• There are many forms of obsessive thoughts that
  can occur within a person diagnosed with OCD.
  Some people with the disorder find the idea of
  sex disgusting because they see it as physically
  contaminating and a way to spread germs and other
  substances that they would find disgusting
• Other forms of OCD focus more on obsessive
  thoughts with sex in the context of religious sin
  or sexual violence. Those who obsess about piety
  or harm can often feel disgusted by sex and the
  anxiety these thoughts cause turns them off
  completely.

5
SIDE EFFECTS VS. SYMPTOMS

• Some anti-sex thoughts and feelings come about
  because of drug side effects. If someone with OCD
  is on a medication for their disorder, or the
  anxiety or depression that often comes comorbid
  with OCD, the low sex drive and undesirability
  may be a cause of these medications.
• _______________________________
• Its always important to consult with a physician
  about potential side effects of drugs being taken
  and to ask for help figuring out whether the
  problem is a true symptom of the disorder OR a
  medication side effect that can potentially be
  easily corrected.

6
HOW TO START COPING

• If you are someone with OCD, never fear.
• While the process will be difficult and
  requires hard work, it is possible to start
  coping with these feelings in order to have
  healthy, typical relationships with others.

7
GETTING TREATMENT

• First, get the treatment you need to begin
  managing your OCD. If you have gone untreated for
  your disorder, the time to change that is now.
  Without the help of mental health professionals,
  the journey to managing your OCD will be arduous.
  Its also never advised to self-diagnose or act
  as your own mental health professional.
• Mental health professionals can help manage OCD
  through therapy methods and pharmaceuticals.

8
MENTION YOUR HANGUPS

• Its imperative that you discuss your sexual
  dysfunctions with your health care provider. It
  may be embarrassing or shameful to you to
  consider discussing these problems with others
  but remember if you dont talk about them,
  theyll never get better.
• Again, a mental health professional can help you
  figure out the true cause of your sexual disgust
  or anxiety. Is it a problem with your OCD, a
  medication youre taking, or another health
  issue?
• Your mental health provider can help figure this
  all out.

9
ALWAYS COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR PARTNER

• Its also important to keep your partner up to
  date on where you are in your treatment and how
  you feel about relationships and sex.
• ________________
• A serious partner is someone you can lean on and
  discuss anything with in an open and safe
  environment. The conversation may be hard, but
  its always one worth having.

10
ALWAYS COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR PARTNER

• Not communicating with your partner means that
  they may misunderstand and misinterpret your
  feelings. While you may just feel turned off by
  sex because of OCD anxiety, a partner may
  internalize this reaction as something they have
  done wrong.
• Talking with a partner is how you reassure each
  other that this is something you can work on.
  Understand that its not the true fault of either
  of you, and that mental illness is something that
  can be treated in order to make a healthy
  relationship whole again.

11
TEST YOUR COMFORT ZONE

• While you should never feel like you need to
  perform relationship duties or sexual acts that
  you dont want to or that make you feel
  uncomfortable, its also imperative you find
  where your boundaries are. Are you only anxious
  about certain types of intimacy? Can you have sex
  in certain conditions?
• Exploring these variables (at the advice of a
  mental health professional) can help you
  determine the true and underlying cause of the
  dysfunction.

12
FINDING A SUPPORT GROUP

• Ask your health care provider or research online
  local support groups for people with OCD. These
  groups can be a safe place to talk about intimacy
  and sex while having OCD, as well as discussing
  the experiences of others like you in order to
  learn and grow.
• Bring your partner as well, if you are allowed.
  To be safe, attend a few meetings on your own and
  see what the atmosphere is like. If no one else
  has brought in their partner, ask a few group
  members if they would be comfortable with this
  and go from there.