Pedophilia Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Specialist in New Jersey
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Don’t feel ashamed—trust OCD Hotline to help you with your struggles. Dr. Brodsky is a pedophilia obsessive-compulsive disorder specialist who offers a confidential, free consultation to answer all your questions via email. To start, make an appointment online or call (212) 726-2390 to schedule an in-person session in New York or New Jersey. Virtual therapy is accessible nationwide in 42 states, from Huntsville, Alabama, and Little Rock, Arkansas, to Columbus, Ohio, and Oklahoma City.
Understanding POCD
POCD (Pedophilia Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) is an irrational fear of being a pedophile or predator, even in the absence of any evidence. Other individuals with this type of OCD experience distressing obsessions about inappropriate sexual interactions, which may include thoughts about family members, married individuals, coworkers, children, animals, rape, deceased individuals, or even divine entities. They may fear that they are or will become a pedophile, rapist, molester, adulterer, promiscuous individual, pornographer, paraphiliac, fetishist, or deviant. Additionally, some may question their sexual orientation.
Sexual Concerns
Individuals suffering from a sexual OCD often find themselves constantly testing their arousal levels concerning certain people, seeking reassurance that their feelings are normal. They tend to review past interactions, trying to determine whether a completely ordinary encounter could have inadvertently led to forced sexual contact, the transmission of an STD, or even pregnancy. Some individuals worry that, while intoxicated at a social or work gathering, they may have engaged in reckless intimacy with their boss, their spouse, a best friend's girlfriend or boyfriend, or an in-law, only to have no memory of it. Following such events, they frequently monitor the behavior of coworkers and friends for signs that might confirm their imagined indiscretion.
Pedophile obsessive-compulsive disorder specialists have found that these patients fear they may have been victims of sexual misconduct, though they rationally know this is not the case. Despite this awareness, individuals cannot stop reviewing their lives for potentially horrifying violations. Even in consensual adult interactions, there can be anxiety about whether either party felt coerced.
Some individuals worry they may have committed serious crimes, such as rape, molestation, or child pornography, leading them to check television and newspaper reports for any mention of their perceived wrongdoing. Others are concerned that they might engage in deviant behavior in the future, which is why they should seek treatment for POCD immediately.
Perception
Like other forms of obsessive-control disorders that involve interpersonal themes, the underlying issues in POCD or harm-related obsessions are not inherently about sex or harm. Many sufferers have experienced poor role models in relationships marked by a "control or be controlled" or "perpetrator or victim" dynamic. As a result, POCD sufferers may fluctuate between feeling like the perpetrator and feeling like the victim, often perceiving others as more threatening or vulnerable than they truly are. This extreme perception leads them to project their feelings of vulnerability onto others as a defense mechanism, avoiding their own; however, seeing others as potential victims makes them feel like they, themselves, are the perpetrators. Therefore, emotionally, they find themselves in both roles.
Reach out to learn how our treatment for POCD can help you if you are experiencing any symptoms.
Governor Cuomo's resignation triggered people with POCD to wonder if they are sexual predators, according to specialist Dr. Steven Brodsky
Get in Touch
Email Dr. Brodsky your question for a free and confidential in-person or virtual consultation within 24 hours to determine if you are experiencing POCD. Only the doctor reviews all messages and speaks with patients nationwide. Contact us also to learn about Dr. Brodsky’s experience, types of treatment for POCD, other types of OCD, and insurance coverage.