Can POCD Go Away?

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can take many forms, and one of the most distressing is POCD, or Pedophile Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. People with POCD experience intrusive, unwanted thoughts about sexually abusing children, which causes intense anxiety and guilt. The good news is that recovery is possible. This post explores whether POCD can go away, focusing on the role of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), treatment outcomes, and hope for rapid recovery.

How ERP Therapy Works for POCD

Understanding that POCD is a mental health condition, not a reflection of character or desire, is crucial. Effective treatment can reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the gold standard treatment for OCD, including POCD. ERP involves simulation by gradually exposing individuals to feared thoughts or situations.

The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) notes that typical ERP treatment lasts as little as 12 and 20 sessions before remission.

Hansen et al. (2018) studied OCD treatment and found a 93.8% response rate and 76.9% complete remission after treatment. This shows promise for fast recovery. Yes, POCD can go away, forever.

Clinical Observations on POCD Recovery

I am Daniel Carr, MSW. My clinical observations were that severe POCD more often than not reached 60-80% remission within a 2 months with two ERP sessions per week. Nearly all of my patients achieved remission and no longer needed therapy within 6 months with consistent ERP treatment.

What Does Remission Mean for POCD?

Remission means that symptoms have reduced or completely gone away. Remission can include:

• Intrusive thoughts occur much less frequently

• Distress related to these thoughts is drastically reduced

• The amount of time spent ruminating decreases or stops

• Instrusive thoughts stop happening completely, and do not return

Summary

POCD is a crushing form of OCD, but it can go away or become far less impairing with ERP treatment. Research shows that ERP produces significant improvement, and some achieve entire remission in a short period of time. Remission inlcudes the possibility of total elimination of POCD within weeks to months when treatment is done correctly.

Where to start:

The POCD Workbook contains 7 to 21 treatment sessions worth of ERP modules.

Order here

The online workbook store also contains a general Taboo OCD workbook which includes the POCD workbook within it, in case you would prefer to not order a specified taboo.

If you or someone you know struggles with OCD, would like to know more, or would like online counseling, please visit http://OCDTreatmentCenter.org.