Myths and Facts

MYTH #1:

If a person has P-OCD, that means they are a pedophile.

FACT:

A diagnosis of P-OCD does not mean that the individual is an offending pedophile. Actually, having intrusive thoughts/urges about possibly being a pedophile is extremely distressing to these individuals, who may go to extreme efforts to avoid any situations that could possibly bring them closer to their fears. This sometimes looks like avoidance of media content with or about children/babies, declining invitations to social gatherings in which children/babies will be present, or an inability to care for one’s own child for fear of accidentally doing something inappropriate.

MYTH #2:

Having obsessive thoughts/urges about being a pedophile means that the individual is sexually aroused by this content.

FACT:

The OCD cycle (regardless of content) traps the sufferer in a loop of a) having an intrusive thought/urge that causes distress, b) the person compulsively engaging in a behavior to neutralize or “undo” the thought, c) temporary reduction in anxiety from the original thought, which reinforces to the brain that this compulsive behavior is necessary for safety, and d) the intrusive thought/urge returns.

BOTTOM LINE: Intrusive thoughts can feel tortuous to the person experiencing them. The thoughts/urges are not desired, sought after, or welcome.

MYTH #3:

Obsession about pedophilia is really sick- that person must be severely sick- way more than “regular OCD.”

FACT:

OCD can “hook onto” any content matter: germs, relationship uncertainty, sexual orientation, religion, health, symmetry, order, and more. The type of OCD has no bearing on severity. Rather, severity is determined by how much impairment the individual experiences in daily functioning as a result of the intrusive thoughts. Trained clinicians measure the amount of time the person spends on their compulsive behaviors a day, and how much control the person feels they have in their ability to resist compulsion.

What does treatment look like for someone presenting with P-OCD symptoms?

With an ERP-trained clinician (Exposure and Response Prevention), P-OCD clients work towards engaging with their fears and tolerating distress without performing ritualized, compulsive behaviors. For example, if a mother, diagnosed with P-OCD, refuses to give her child a bath when alone because she’s afraid of bathing her child inappropriately, the client is then assigned homework assignments with the purpose of bringing her closer and closer to the highest anticipated level of discomfort with the distressing, unwanted, intrusive thoughts.

At first, this might look like helping the child get ready for the bath, then passing the bathing task to another trusted caregiver. Another exposure might be giving the child a bath with another caregiver in the home but not nearby, and yet another exposure might be giving the child a bath without another caregiver in the home. With repeated exposure to the feared stimuli without giving “tapping out” and engaging in a compulsion (such as a mental ritual of repeating the phrase “I am ok if I just stay away from my child”), clients re-train their brains to tolerate temporary distress without “needing to do” anything to alleviate the anxiety.

If this is resonating with an aspect of your personal experience, we want you to know that there is hope for recovery and we want to help. Please click here to schedule a free phone consultation with one of our ERP-trained staff.

References:

Farrell, N. (2022, March 4). Your complete guide to pedophilia OCD (POCD). NOCD. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/your-complete-guide-to-pedophilia-ocd-pocd

Levy, J. (n.d.). Am I a monster? an overview of common features, typical course, shame and treatment of pedophilia OCD (pocd). International OCD Foundation. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/am-i-a-monster-an-overview-of-common-features-typical-course-shame-and-treatment-of-pedophilia-ocd-pocd/

Made of Millions Foundation. (n.d.). Pedophilia OCD. Made of Millions Foundation. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://www.madeofmillions.com/ocd/pedophilia-ocd

Trejo, K. (2020, September 7). A comprehensive look at pedophilia OCD. Impulse. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://impulsetherapy.com/a-comprehensive-look-at-pedophilia-ocd/#Am_I_a_Pedophile