Pedophilia OCD (pOCD)

Pedophilia OCD (pOCD):

Am I a pedophile? Whats the different between POCD and an actual pedophile? Did I think or do something inappropriate?

Looking at the vast number of OCD sub-types, one that always brings on a great deal of fear or shame is POCD. Pedophilia OCD can be seen as fears and obsessions that a person might be attracted to a child. Topics and discussions about pedophilia are not ones we might have at dinner, or ever speak on as matter of fact. This is a topic taboo in nature and because of that, can present itself to be a major deterrent in someone seeking treatment for this sub type. Pedophilia OCD or pOCD is a sub-type of OCD that is characterized by obsessions and fears about being attracted to a child, thoughts about attraction, and doubts on behaviors if they were appropriate or not. Doubt and overthinking is present in this sub-type that would lead a person to engage in a compulsive behavior. Compulsions are rituals/behaviors that offer relief from the obsessions. Engaging in the compulsion can reduce the anxiety and provide short term relief. A person is more likely to seek that short term relief with the compulsion, and look to reinforce the OCD cycle that keeps them stuck. The obsessions in POCD can cause significant emotional distress. The pOCD manifests as repetitive, unwanted and intrusive thoughts/feelings and doubts. A distressing question arises in this sub-type being am I actually a pedophile or is this pOCD?

Actual Pedophilia:

The doubt, rumination and debate in a persons head about whether they are an actual pedophile or not can lead to hours and hours of wasted time engaging in compulsions, creating more distress and strengthening the OCD cycle. We look at some criteria that separates pOCD from actual pedophilia. Pedophilia is looked at as sexual attraction towards children. That person may have intense urges and fantasies about children that lasts for months to years. Behaviors may or may not may be acted on. Pedophiles may fantasize about children while child molesters have sexually abused them. A pedophile with sexual thoughts and urges may enjoy them, find pleasure in those thoughts. Child molesters might not feel guilt, shame or doubt about their actions and have followed through with engaging in those urges and thoughts. The pedophile might exhibit the behavior and follow through with their actions while the aspects of pOCD are based in doubts and “What if” about these thoughts/urges.

Compared to POCD:

While a pedophile might enjoy the thoughts and urges they have and feel towards children, in pOCD it might cause extreme distress and discomfort. Within OCD, these thoughts and urges are intrusive and unwanted. They come to their mind against their will. There is no enjoyment of these thoughts, just distress. A person with pOCD might go out of their way to purposefully avoid being around children. They might compulsively fight against any intrusive thought about attraction towards children. Doing everything in their power to disprove that thought or feeling while the actual pedophile, might not be feeling as much distress or doing any compulsions because of them. The intrusive thoughts a person with this sub-type might experience are thoughts trying to convince the person they are actually a pedophile. The thoughts trying to convince that person that they are actually a pedophile are used to get the person to react and engage in the compulsions. OCD wants to feed on the compulsions. It will try its hardest to get you to react and to engage in a compulsion. An individual living with pOCD is no more likely to be a pedophile than an individual who does not have pOCD.

Common pOCD Obsessions:

• “Did I do anything recently that was sexually inappropriate?”

• “Did I ever do anything inappropriately sexual when I was younger?”

• “Have I ever been attracted to an adolescent or child?”

• “Have I accidentally clicked on child porn?

• Was I sexually aroused by that child?

• Could I one day have attraction towards children?

• Was I looking at that child inappropriately?

• Will I do something inappropriate or creepy with my child?

Common pOCD Compulsions:

• Rumination.

• Mental Review.

• Checking.

• Checking for groinal responses.

• Avoidance.

• Distractions.

• Researching.

• Seeking Reassurance.

• Being hyper vigillant of my behavior.

Common pOCD Triggers: Triggers can include internal factors such as emotions/thoughts or external factors such as people, places, things.

• Children in public.

• Schools.

• Playgrounds.

• Children in media/ TV shows/ Movies

• Articles/news reports on pedophiles.

• Groinal responses.

• Babies getting diaper changes.

• Children clothing stores

• Toy stores.

• Guilt, shame, boredom.

pOCD Example:

Joe is 33 years old, married and has a one year old daughter. Joe had recently heard of a scandal at the high school he graduated from of a teacher possessing child pornography. This was a teacher who taught him, that was well liked in the school and worked there for decades. No one would have expected him to be a pedophile until he was caught. Following hearing that incident, Joe began to have intrusive thoughts about wondering if he could ever turn out to be a pedophile. Joe frequently began to wonder if one day he could have attraction towards children. Joe became very fearful of these thoughts. He was plagued with feelings of guilt and shame often. Joe tried to fight the thoughts often telling himself how horrible those thoughts are, and that he would never act on them, how disgusting they were.

Slowly and gradually being around children would bring on more of these thoughts. It was difficult for him to walk by playgrounds and elementary schools. Joe began to give excuses as to why he cannot change his daughter or bath her, for fears that he will look at her private parts or fears of being aroused by seeing her naked. Joe would frequently engage in rumination, avoidant behaviors and constantly be researching diagnostic information about pedophiles and cases of pedophiles. Joe isolated away from his wife and family. He struggled to keep focused at work and found it difficult to leave the house.

Hallmarks of the OCD we see in this example is the fear and disgust Joe felt because of these thoughts. Compared to actual pedophilia, where these thoughts and urges might not cause disgust and may bring pleasure to that person. Joe further engaged in compulsions as a result of his obsessions and distress. Joe would avoid, ruminate, and research. His compulsions strengthening the OCD cycle. Without treatment of OCD, the symptoms tend to get worse. Gradually in this example, Joe’s functioning begins to worsen because of the OCD cycle. Fears, thoughts and compulsions as expressed by Joe in this example can be a driving factor in preventing someone from seeking help struggling with pOCD.

Treatment for OCD:

Treatment for this sub-type of OCD, like all forms of OCD is the gold standard of treatment, exposure and response prevention (ERP). Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) looks at the idea that triggering situations and thoughts are at the core of OCD. Ongoing exposure to these triggers without engagement in rituals can reduce the severity felt. As a licensed mental health therapist trained in ERP, I will assist you through the exposures and how to implement effective response prevention measures. If you feel that OCD has had a negative impact on your life, you might consider counseling and ERP to learn how to handle it more effectively. Please feel free to reach out for a free consultation, where we can discuss impacts of OCD and benefits of counseling/ERP.