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Treatment of “Not-Just-Right Experiences” in Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

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Clinical Handbook of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

Abstract

Historically, treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has focused on anxiety regarding the potential of something bad happening. Therefore, cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) for OCD have emphasized altering the perceived connection between intrusions and performing a compulsion aimed at preventing the negative outcome and reducing anxiety. However, there is increasing recognition that some OCD symptoms are not related to anxiety regarding negative outcomes, but are motivated by a desire to reduce a sensation that things are incomplete or not just right. Thischapter presents the case of a 9-year-old girl with OCD related to both harm avoidance and not-just-right experiences (NJREs). Discussion of her NJRE-related symptoms is emphasized. Initial experiences suggest that patients with NJRE-related symptoms can benefit from CBT when the NJREs are recognized and incorporated into the case conceptualization and treatment.

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Correspondence to Meredith E. Coles Ph.D. .

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Schubert, J., Ravid, A., Coles, M. (2016). Treatment of “Not-Just-Right Experiences” in Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In: Storch, E., Lewin, A. (eds) Clinical Handbook of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17139-5_14

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