title: Cognitive-behavioral treatment of repugnant obsessions.
abstract: Obsessions often occur in the form of repugnant sexual, aggressive, or blasphemous thoughts, images, impulses, or doubts. This article describes the phenomenon of repugnant obsessions and reviews the cognitive-behavioral model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Caveats and recommendations are provided and a case illustration is presented. Repugnant obsessions are highly amenable to treatment; but developing an idiographic conceptualization of the client's obsessive-compulsive cycle is important. Treatment resources are presented throughout.
authors.affiliation: University of Waterloo, Department of Psychology, Ontario, Canada. cpurdon@uwaterloo.ca
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Purdon
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic / Q000379:methods; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013850:Thinking; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology