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Conceptualizing and targeting beliefs in the treatment of a man with obsessive compulsive disorder and overvalued ideation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 April 2011

Thomas Christodoulides ,
Pauline Callcott  and
Robert Dudley
Thomas Christodoulides*
Affiliation:
Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, Northumberland Tyne and Wear Foundation NHS Trust
Pauline Callcott
Affiliation:
Newcastle Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies Centre, Northumberland Tyne and Wear Foundation NHS Trust
Robert Dudley
Affiliation:
Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, Northumberland Tyne and Wear Foundation NHS Trust Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne
*
*Author for correspondence: Dr T. Christodoulides, Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, Northumberland Tyne and Wear Foundation NHS Trust. (email: thomas.christodoulides@ntw.nhs.uk)
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Abstract

There are theoretical challenges in distinguishing obsessions from overvalued ideas (OVIs) and delusions. The latter can be defined by its rigid nature and unusual content, but obsessions and OVIs are also reported with such characteristics. Clinically, what are the implications when this distinction is not entirely clear? In this case study, these issues are explored with a man who presented with commonly reported symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and a belief about transforming into a giant fly. Clinically meaningful gains were made following a course of 17 sessions of CBT, providing some additional support for the effectiveness of CBT for abnormal beliefs within OCD.

Keywords

Case studydelusionsobsessionsovervalued ideas
Type
Practice article
Information
the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist , Volume 4 , Issue 2 , June 2011 , pp. 68 - 77
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2011

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References

Recommended follow-up reading

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Wells, A (2008). Metacognitive therapy: cognition applied to regulating cognition. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy 36, 651–658.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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