Control is an important construct in the fields of psychology and psychopathology, particularly as it relates to anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). Losing control, however, is a fear clinical psychologists observe in many patients but one that remains understudied and little understood.
A new paper published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry presents a new perspective on this fear, with rich implications for future treatment and research. Adam Radomsky, the paper’s author and a professor in the Department of Psychology, outlines some recent work and thinking about these fears and beliefs around the loss of control. He also addresses how this knowledge can be used to study, assess and treat patients with diverse psychological issues.
“I think this fear is very likely trans-diagnostic, meaning that it’s seen in patients suffering from multiple different disorders,” he says. “But what they fear losing control over, or what the consequences of losses of control might be, will of course vary from person to person.”
Radomsky, a core member of the Centre for Clinical Research in Health, hopes the paper will promote increased interest to foster new research that can be carried out and later applied in clinical settings.
Seen across disorders
Radomsky says he developed his interest in the idea after hearing anecdotal evidence of this fear of losing control from multiple clients in his clinical practice. As a cognitive behavioural therapist, Radomsky treats patients with social anxiety disorder, OCD, panic disorder and other problems.
Source: Read Full Article
