Exercise and Cleansing OCD

Usually being clean is a good thing...until you start doing rituals in the shower after making a bowel movement. This is the challenge that Nidia faces everyday. She is afraid of making bowel movements so she steers clear of foods that will make her do so. When she does make bowel movements she has to get in the bath tub to clean herself and it lasts from one hour to three. It takes so long because she has to clean her inside with an enema and a toothbrush because she can't reach that far in. A couple times she has scraped so hard she started bleeding and needed a blood transfusion because she lost so much blood. Not only that, but she washes her hands 100+ times a day. Her relationship with her husband is very strained but he loves her so he stands by her side.

Mat on the other hand exercises several times a day, usually for only a few minutes at a time, because he is so afraid of not being healthy. he exercises for a few minutes before work, he keeps a weight bench next to his desk and takes breaks to exercise, and he exercises several times after work, going to different gyms. He also takes around 40 pills a day since he has so much anxiety about not being healthy. He also runs where ever he goes and always takes the stairs, while occasionally turning, and to the right everytime.

As a psych major, I know that obsessive compulsive disorder is way more serious than most people think and their are many different types of OCD. I just never imagined some of the rituals and things people do because of thier anxiety about things. And these are things that are normal cases of OCD. And it's just crazy to see these things happening to people. And these are things I'll have to excounter every day in my job.

To help Nidia and Mat get over thier fears and anxiety the doctors used Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Nidia had to do things, like go out in nature, where there is dirt, and have a picnick, which intaled her to each foods with lots of fiber, so that she will have to get over her anxiety of having bowel movements. The big experince she had to endevor was making the bowel movement and only taking a 10 minute shower. After 12 weeks her anxiety was lifted and she no longer had fear. She could also go out in nature and do things with her husband without being scared of the dirt.

However, it took Mat a little big longer to get over his fear and his progress at the 6 week mark was not as good as it should have been. However, he got down to two workouts a day and his experience was to go to the gym and not be tempted to work out. It took him awhile, but he was able to get over his fear.

I love watching this show because it shows something real. Many people suffer from this disorder and many people don't realize how serious it is.