The Pharmacologic and Psychological Treatment of Obsessive—Compulsive Disorder

• Published in: Canadian journal of psychiatry Vol. 51; no. 7; pp. 405 - 406
• Main Author: Pinard, Gilbert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-06-2006; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use; Cognitive Therapy; Combined Modality Therapy; Desensitization, Psychologic; Neuroses; Obsessive compulsive disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - therapy; Patients; Pharmacology; Psychiatry
• ISSN: 0706-7437; 1497-0015
• DOI: 10.1177/070674370605100701

In his review in this issue, Abramowitz summarizes the comparative results of CBT and ERP and shows that the indispensable component of the psychological approaches seems to be exposure, even in the soi-disant "pure" cognitive group (individuals often expose in imagination and indeed, at times, spontaneously in vivo without therapist intervention). Abramowitz also mentions that cognitive therapists have developed strategies that look more deeply into the schemas of patients-a core belief of enhanced responsibility for the patient's own and others' well-being (6), an increased sense of vulnerability (7), and thought-action fusion ("IfI think it, it means I want to do it") (8).