{"id":2858,"date":"2018-05-16T13:09:44","date_gmt":"2018-05-16T12:09:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ocduk.net\/?page_id=2858"},"modified":"2019-01-30T17:40:35","modified_gmt":"2019-01-30T17:40:35","slug":"pure-o","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ocduk.org\/ocd\/pure-o\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Pure O Exist?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u2018Purely obsessional\u2019 or \u2018Pure O\u2019<\/mark> is a term commonly used to refer to a form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder which people mistakenly believe has no outward compulsions and only features distressing internal intrusive thoughts.<\/p>\n

But does \u2018Pure O\u2019 exist?<\/strong>
\nWell as an online term yes, but as a form of OCD, not really, it’s merely a phrase. It\u2019s certainly not a medically listed term, and we will try and explain why we don\u2019t consider it a separate form of OCD.<\/p>\n

Like any person suffering from OCD, a person with \u2018Pure O\u2019 will have compulsions.OCD-UK<\/cite><\/blockquote>Like any person suffering from OCD, a person with \u2018Pure O\u2019 will have compulsions, \u00a0some will manifest as unseen mental rituals, but importantly there will nearly always be physical outward compulsions too, making the term \u2018Pure O\u2019 imprecise.<\/p>\n

Examples of physical compulsions include checking (various types of checking, from checking on Google to checking for own body reactions\/sensations), seeking reassurance from loved ones or avoidance of particular objects, places or people that trigger \u00a0obsessional thoughts. Watching movies of an adult nature to check if there is arousal. They\u2019re all compulsions (mental or physical), which is why the term \u2018Pure O\u2019 is both unhelpful and imprecise.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unhelpful because a person suffering with OCD might fail to recognise their own symptoms (compulsions) hindering their recovery.<\/p>\n

Summary<\/strong>
\nIn summary, what we\u2019re saying is that \u2018Pure O\u2019 is like any other form of OCD, it will involve both obsessions and compulsions, and treatment approaches would be no different. A person doesn\u2019t need a \u2018Pure O\u2019 specialist, \u2018Pure O\u2019 would be treated using standard traditional treatment methods, the same that are used for every other type of OCD.<\/p>\n

It’s for this reason that OCD-UK have chosen to not use the term, and proactively highlight how misleading it can be.<\/p>\n

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What to read next:<\/p>\n

<\/i> Risk assessment in OCD<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
OCD during a Prenatal or Postnatal period <\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
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