CBB Profs Present: “Why Are Compulsions so Compelling?”

Directions and MapCBB:The Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology at the University of Waterloo, is a catalyst for advancing bioengineering and biotechnology research and innovation through industry collaborations and partnerships. More than 180 faculty members, from every faculty on campus, are actively engaged with the centre, working in collaboration to provide a resource of varying expertise. Our mandate is to build healthy, active partnerships between centre researchers and corporate members through collaborative projects, mutual interest building, and networking events.

Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology (CBB)

Dr. Purdon will be giving a talk on the factors involved in the persistence of compulsions and implications for treatment.

<p>Leading psychological treatment of OCD focuses on reducing the emotional response to obsessional thoughts via exposure with response prevention (ERP) and cognitive restructuring of appraisal of the obsession (that is, de-toxifying the obsession), the assumption being that if distress over the obsessional thoughts resolves the compulsion becomes obsolete. Exposure with response prevention is the most effective treatment of OCD to date. However, when treatment refusal and drop out rates are considered, it is only about 50% effective, and even when “successful” is associated with only a 40% reduction in symptoms. ERP can be a hard sell for clients because compulsions are, well, compelling. Research in the past decade clearly suggests that compulsions are very difficult to resist and, once initiated, a number of self-perpetuating mechanisms kick in, resulting in their persistence. In this talk I will review factors involved in the persistence of compulsions and implications for treatment. By taking the compelling features of compulsions into account we may be better able to help people resist compulsions and improve willingness to do ERP.</p>

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CBB Profs Present: “Why Are Compulsions so Compelling?”

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CBB Profs Present: “Why Are Compulsions so Compelling?”

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