Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Vicious Cycle
This practical CBT worksheet helps therapists and clients map the vicious cycle maintaining obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Vicious Cycle
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) can be confusing and exhausting. Many people experiencing this difficulty find themselves caught in patterns of unwanted thoughts and repetitive behaviors that feel difficult to control.
OCD thoughts are unwanted and are likely to go against your values. They can also be distressing. The behaviors you use to cope with them make sense because they reduce your anxiety in the short-term, but they can actually keep the cycle going in the long-term.
This tool will help you develop an understanding of your own OCD cycle – how it starts, what keeps it going, and why it can feel so hard to stop. Therapists call this understanding a ‘formulation’. By mapping out your personal OCD cycle, you can see how the different parts connect and how you can make helpful changes.
Overview
The Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Vicious Cycle worksheet provides an accessible visual framework for understanding how obsessions, emotional responses, compulsive behaviors and temporary relief interact to maintain OCD. It supports clients to complete their own personalized vicious cycle, and helps therapists visually demonstrate how the cycle can be broken.
Also available as:
PDF ToolUse this tool with your clients
Support therapeutic work between sessions.
Assign
Send the tool securely to your client.
Client completes
Your client works through it on any device, at their own pace.
Review
Review their responses before the next session.
Part of a complete library of evidence-based tools
Worksheets, guides, audio resources and interactive digital tools for mental health professionals.