Relationship OCD: A CBT-Based Guide to Move Beyond Obsessive Doubt, Anxiety, and Fear of Commitment in Romantic Relationships

by Sheva Rajaee MFT

Overview

A powerful CBT approach to help you find freedom from obsessive relationship anxiety, doubt, and fear of commitment

Do you obsess over your partner’s flaws? Does thinking about the future of your relationship leave you imagining the worst-case scenario? When it comes to navigating the world of romantic relationships, some feelings of anxiety, doubt, and fear are to be expected. But if your fears so extreme that they threaten to destroy an otherwise healthy relationship, you may have relationship OCD—a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that causes chronic obsessive doubt and anxiety in relationships. So, how can you free yourself to discover deeper intimacy and security?

Relationship OCD offers an evidence-based, cognitive behavioral approach to finding relief from relationship anxiety, obsessive doubt, and fear of commitment. You’ll learn to challenge the often-distorted thought patterns that trigger harmful emotions, increase your ability to think rationally, and ultimately accept the presence of intrusive thinking while maintaining the values of a healthy relationship.

Relationships are the ultimate unknown. If you’re ready to let go of needing to know for sure, this book will help you find satisfaction and thrive in your romantic relationships—in all their wonderful uncertainty.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684037919
Publisher:	New Harbinger Publications
Publication date:	01/02/2022
Pages:	200
Sales rank:	136,985
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 5.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Sheva Rajaee, MFT, is founder and director of The Center for Anxiety and OCD in Irvine, CA, where she manages a team of clinicians specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). She is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) and the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). She has spoken about her own OCD journey in a 2017 TEDxUCLA Talk. She has appeared on CNN, been interviewed in HuffPost, and has been featured on multiple episodes of The OCD Stories podcast and other anxiety and mental health podcasts.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part 1 The Myth of the One

1 The Anxious Spiral 11

2 Relationship Anxiety 31

3 Sex Anxiety 51

Part 2 Rewiring Your Anxious Brain

4 Cognitive Distortions and Thought Restructuring 71

5 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for ROCD 89

6 Exposure Therapy for ROCD 111

7 Healing Shame in ROCD 133

Part 3 The Joy of the Unknown

8 Managing ROCD for a Lifetime 151

9 A New Kind of Love Story 167

Acknowledgments 183

Resources 185

References 187

Interviews

Rajaee resides in Irvine, CA (the Greater Los Angeles Area).

Editorial Reviews

The condition of OCD has many subsets which continue to perplex the clinical population, as well as many mental health professionals. This book provides valuable information and guidelines for managing this extremely misunderstood facet of OCD. Many persons who might otherwise be misdiagnosed or misunderstood now have a resource to educate themselves and others about this illusive condition.”
—Steven Phillipson, PhD, world-renowned expert in the treatment and understanding of OCD, and owner and clinical director of the Center for Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy for twenty-five years

Steven Phillipson

Sheva Rajaee has written an important book that fills a gaping hole on the topic of relationship obsessive-compulsive disorder (ROCD). For anyone struggling with obsessive doubt about whether or not you’re with ‘the One,’ this book offers information and tools to help you find more peace, freedom, and love.”
—Sheryl Paul, author of The Wisdom of Anxiety and The Conscious Bride

Sheryl Paul

Sheva Rajaee masterfully dissects the ‘myth of the One’ while providing guidance on how to live in the uncertainty of a myth-free world. She explains the trickery of ROCD with the kind of empathy and understanding only possible through lived experience. This book will ignite your anxiety while teaching you how to control the flame. And we are all better off for it.”
—Allison Raskin, podcaster, mental health advocate, and best-selling coauthor of I Hate Everyone But You

Allison Raskin

Sheva Rajaee masterfully debunks the ‘myth of the One,’ which plagues individuals with ROCD, taking the reader through current research on the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of this increasingly problematic anxiety disorder. She provides sufferers with clear steps to confront their anxiety in the service of enhancing one’s relationship satisfaction with demonstrable, meaningful, and lasting results.”
—Jayson L. Mystkowski, PhD, A-CBT, founder, director, and licensed clinical psychologist at Cognitive Behavior Health Partners in Los Angeles, CA; and associate clinical professor of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles

Jayson L. Mystkowski

A well-written, extremely practical step-by-step guide to overcoming ROCD. Sheva achieves the difficult task of combining cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and exposure therapy into a cohesive and easy-to-use approach. Highly recommended, both for those who suffer from ROCD and therapists who work with them.”
—Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap and ACT Made Simple

Russ Harris

Reading Relationship OCD feels like talking with an intimate friend, a compassionate and knowledgeable therapist, a trusted confessor, and a loved partner all in one. Rajaee weaves together neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology to address some of the toughest issues in our private lives. Love and doubt, shame and longing, fear and hope—they’re all in this highly readable book, and always with complete sensitivity and expert knowledge.”
—Eli R. Lebowitz, associate professor in the Yale Child Study Center, and author of Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD

Eli R. Lebowitz