~ Resource and Assistance for Intrusive Obsessions About Children
All forms of OCD are a huge source of distress, shame, and pain for its sufferers. POCD (Pedophile OCD) could be one of the most debilitating and shameful for the sufferer. This type of OCD involves groundless fear of being a pedophile — one does not want to harm or molest children but is plagued with constant intrusive thoughts. The great contradiction of OCD is that it creates the most appalling obsessions about the people or things a person fears or cares about the most.
~ Unimaginable Pain and Suffering
Depression and suicidal thoughts are common among people with POCD. These sufferers would rather harm themselves than harm a child. It's the form of OCD no one talks about. The sensitive issues surrounding the disorder prompt sufferers to hide their condition and focus on compulsions to prevent the thoughts. In reality, people with POCD are among those you could trust most with a child. Dr. Hank Srednicki is very familiar with these types of intrusive thoughts and has helped many people recover.
Intrusive, unwanted thoughts about harming a child
Intense shame and fear of being a "bad person"
Avoidance of children and constant reassurance-seeking
~ High Level of Misdiagnosis
Just like other less-recognized forms of OCD, Pedophile OCD is often misdiagnosed. In a recent study conducted on members of the American Psychological Association (APA), the sexual obsession vignette was misidentified by 42.9% of participants — a third of them classified it as pedophilia. Other forms of OCD have comparatively lower misdiagnosis rates: 28.8% for religious obsessions and 15.8% for contamination obsessions.
This brings to question the ability of clinicians to identify POCD accurately and how likely are POCD patients to obtain proper diagnosis and treatment. Seeking a specialist in OCD is critical for correct diagnosis and effective care.
~ Who Suffers From POCD?
People with POCD are almost always loving, caring individuals who would never harm a child. The intrusive thoughts are ego-dystonic — they are completely inconsistent with the person's true values and desires. The distress caused by these thoughts is precisely what makes them OCD, not evidence of actual intent.
~ Treatment Outcome
POCD is highly treatable with the right specialist. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the gold-standard treatment. Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT) is also particularly effective for POCD, as it targets the reasoning processes that lead to obsessional doubt.
Dr. Henry Srednicki specializes in POCD and has helped many people break free from the OCD trap. With offices in Upper Montclair, NJ and New York City, and telehealth services across 42+ states through PSYPACT, evidence-based care is accessible wherever you are.
Reference: Glazier, K., Calixte, R., Rothschild, R., & Pinto, A. (2013). High rates of OCD symptom misidentification by mental health professionals. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, 25(3), 201–209.
Dr. Srednicki Offers Specialized Virtual OCD Treatment via Secure Telehealth and is Authorized to Treat Patients in the Following 42 States
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia (Washington D.C.)
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
WE’RE HERE TO HELP YOU
LEARN THE RIGHT STRATEGIES TO SET YOURSELF FREE.
You have more control, than you think.
543 Valley Road, suite 6 Upper Montclair NJ 07043
NY City Address of 30 West 63rd Street New York, NY 10023
973-744-9130
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Dr. Henry Srednicki
