Understanding POCD: The "What If I'm a Paedophile?" Spiral Hi there. I'm Federico Ferrarese, a CBT therapist based in Edinburgh specialising in OCD treatment, and today I want to talk to you about a topic that almost no one wants to touch. It's raw. It's frightening....
8 Ways to Understand Meta-Doubt OCD: Truth or Excuse? Introduction You’re sitting on the sofa after a long day. The telly’s murmuring in the background. Your tea’s gone lukewarm. And there it is again. That whispery question that can turn your stomach in a second: “Do...
Master Intrusive Thought Hits in Just 120 Seconds Introduction Picture this: you're walking through Edinburgh's Old Town, the chilly air on your cheeks, a cup of coffee in hand. You hear a footstep behind you and suddenly a thought zips into your mind: "What if I...
Why OCD Thoughts Feel So Real: 5 Scientific Reasons Just last week, I sat with a client in my Edinburgh clinic who looked at me with complete confusion. "Federico," she said, "I know these thoughts about contamination don't make sense. I can see how irrational they...
Discover 18 Bizarre Intrusive Thoughts (You’re Not Alone) Picture this. You're standing on a busy train platform when suddenly your mind flashes an image of pushing a stranger onto the tracks. Or maybe you're driving along, perfectly calm, when your brain conjures up...
OCD in the Digital Age: 5 Hidden Traps of Scrolling Last week, a client sat across from me in my Edinburgh office, phone clutched in her hands like a lifeline. "I can't stop checking," she whispered. "Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. I scroll for hours, but it just makes...