Module 4: Bridging Client Copy

Bridging

Adapted by Brittany Goff from: O'Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician's handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

Start Module

Hyper-systemizing

Systemizing is a concept within Simon Baron-Cohen's empathizing–systemizing (E-S) theory. The hyper-systemizing theory argues that the excellent attention to detail is directed towards detecting ‘if p, then q’ rules (or [input–operation–output] reasoning). Such law-based pattern recognition systems can produce talent in systemizable domains.

People with autism & ADHD often have special skills and talents that can be even better than those of people without autism & adhd.

Expertise in Patterns: Individuals with autism often excel at recognizing repeating patterns and sequences in various domains, such as mathematics, music, or nature. This ability is a key aspect of hyper-systemizing, where the brain is adept at identifying and understanding structured systems. Systemizing Social Interactions: Some theories suggest that people with autism apply systemizing to social situations, breaking down social interactions into predictable, if-then patterns. This can help explain why social nuances might be challenging, as these do not always follow clear, consistent rules. Cognitive Style: The cognitive style associated with hyper-systemizing predisposes individuals to focus intensely on details and systematic patterns. This results in a heightened ability to spot and understand complex patterns, which can lead to specialized talents and skills.

In this exercise, you connect two different ideas by making up a sentence that explains how they are related.

Adapted by Brittany Goff from: O'Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician's handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

Our brains like to make up stories based on what we

see around us.

In this exercise, you connect two different ideas by making up a sentence that explains how they are related.

Adapted by Brittany Goff from: O'Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician's handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

When we don't know something, our brains try to guess the missing parts.

Our brains like to make up stories based on what we

In this exercise, you connect two different ideas by making up a sentence that explains how they are related.

The better the story, the stronger the connection between the ideas.

see around us.

Adapted by Brittany Goff from: O'Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician's handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

That's where the story helps, filling in the gap between the two ideas.

The better the story, the stronger the connection between the ideas.

When we don't know something, our brains try to guess the missing parts.

Our brains like to make up stories based on what we

In this exercise, you connect two different ideas by making up a sentence that explains how they are related.

see around us.

Adapted by Brittany Goff from: O'Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician's handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

Tom ordered a third beer

The cat jumped out of the window

Adapted by Brittany Goff from: O'Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician's handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

the street

and ran along

Tom ordered a third beer

He jumped up

on the table

into the pub.

The cat jumped out of the window

and knocked over Tom's second beer, so

Adapted by Brittany Goff from: O'Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician's handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

the street

and ran along

Tom ordered a third beer

He jumped up

on the table

into the pub.

The cat jumped out of the window

and knocked over Tom's second beer, so

Adapted by Brittany Goff from: O'Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician's handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

Watching TV

Losing your

phone

birthday

Your

Getting fired

flooding

Your basment

A snow day

Abductions

Alien

Getting a puppy

Winning

the

lottery

A bad nights sleep

OCD will link a perception/trigger with a doubt

which then creates a story

What if it could still be open?

My door locked fine

Adapted by Brittany Goff from: O'Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician's handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

OCD will link a perception/trigger with a doubt

which then creates a story

fault in the lock

but there could be

What if it could still be open?

I left my door

unlocked last week

Doors do get left open

My door locked fine

I can't see the lock mechanism

Adapted by Brittany Goff from: O'Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician's handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

OCD will link a perception/trigger with a doubt

OCD will link a perception/trigger with a doubt

which then creates a story

fault in the lock

but there could be

What if it could still be open?

I left my door

unlocked last week

Doors do get left open

My door locked fine

I can't see the lock mechanism

Adapted by Brittany Goff from: O'Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician's handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

Remember Module 2, the Logic of OCD

The reasonings of what makes up your OCD

Personal Experience

Trigger

Possibility

Fact

Doubt

Fact

fault in the lock

but there could be

What if it could still be open?

I left my door

unlocked last week

but there could be

Doors do get left open

My door locked fine

I can't see the lock mechanism

Adapted by Brittany Goff from: O'Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician's handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

Trigger

Doubt

What if my partner isn't the right person for me?

Booking the wedding venue

Adapted by Brittany Goff from: O'Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician's handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

Personal Experience

Personal Experience

Hearsay/rule

Trigger

Hearsay

Doubt

What if my partner isn't the right person for me?

There are quite a few things about

the wedding i'm not 100% certian

But i'm not sure if i'm 100% in love with it

I've heard that if you aren't 100% certian, you could be marrying the wrong person

Booking the wedding venue

but there could be

This venue has

amazing reviews

Adapted by Brittany Goff from: O'Connor, K., & Aardema, F. (2012). Clinician's handbook for obsessive compulsive disorder: Inference-based therapy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

Triggers

Spending time with loved ones

Getting a promotion

exercise

Borrow from somebody else's OCD doubt first

Volunteering on the weekends

Getting a new pet

Doubt

What if i'm a bad person?

Feeding the homeless

Celebrating your favorite holiday

Another exercise

The therapist will choose random objects around the room

You are going to bridge these objects to your obsessional doubt

Baader–Meinhof phenomenon (aka Frequency illusion)

The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, also called frequency illusion or frequency bias, is a cognitive bias that describes the increase to perceive something as occurring more frequently once it has been noticed initially.

This bias leads to the belief that the observed thing has a heightened frequency of occurrence. The illusion is a result of increased awareness of a phrase, idea, or object – for example, hearing a song more often or seeing red cars everywhere.

Once you see a variety of stories related to your theme, you have an increased awareness of it.

Baader–Meinhof phenomenon (aka Frequency illusion)

The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, also called frequency illusion or frequency bias, is a cognitive bias that describes the increase to perceive something as occurring more frequently once it has been noticed initially.

This bias leads to the belief that the observed thing has a heightened frequency of occurrence. The illusion is a result of increased awareness of a phrase, idea, or object – for example, hearing a song more often or seeing red cars everywhere.

Once a client with OCD sees a variety of stories related to their theme, they have an increased awareness of it.

Look at the kids play, how cute!

Look at the kids play, how cute!

Wait, why did I think those kids were cute? People can be attracted to cute things , could I be attracted to them? I've seen on true crime that purpetrators often find their victims at parks. Could I have been looking for a victim to hurt? These type of people exist, so who is to say i'm not one? What if i'm a pedpophile?

Personal Conspiracy theories

RULES

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

DOUBT

TRIGGER

HEARSAY

FACTS

POSSIBILITY

I heard Trump talking about shredded ballots that he found.

was different this year.

The whole election.

It's possible that some of the ballots

could have been shredded because of that.

Due to COVID-19, many states expanded mail-in voting options to ensure public safety.

And what about the broken voting machines?

I heard the news announce that Biden won the election.

My neighbor said the ballots were.

transported in trucks driven by Democrats.

I saw on FOX news that they were glitching and

switching Trumps name over to Bidens.

This caused many changes in election procedures.

as expanded use of mail-in ballots or modifications to signature verification processes.

Trump said the ballots were transported in trucks with "Biden 2020" bumper stickers.

The changes in regulation laws are also suspicious.

My great grand-pa told me about how dead people were voting for Biden.

What if the election was stolen?

Biden just wants to take our guns and

control us

I saw a tweet by Donald Trump that

COVID is just a hoax to manipulate the election.

Maybe Biden didn't actually win.

Maybe COVID-19 isn't even real, and it was created by the Democrats to force us to vote from home.

Maybe the ballots were printed on disappearing paper?

I heard Trump talking about shredded ballots that he found.

was different this year.

The whole election.

It's possible that some of the ballots

could have been shredded because of that.

Due to COVID-19, many states expanded mail-in voting options to ensure public safety.

And what about the broken voting machines?

I heard the news announce that Biden won the election.

My neighbor said the ballots were.

transported in trucks driven by Democrats.

I saw on FOX news that they were glitching and

switching Trumps name over to Bidens.

This caused many changes in election procedures.

as expanded use of mail-in ballots or modifications to signature verification processes.

Trump said the ballots were transported in trucks with "Biden 2020" bumper stickers.

The changes in regulation laws are also suspicious.

My great grand-pa told me about how dead people were voting for Biden.

What if the election was stolen?

Biden just wants to take our guns and

control us

I saw a tweet by Donald Trump that

COVID is just a hoax to manipulate the election.

Maybe Biden didn't actually win.

Maybe COVID-19 isn't even real, and it was created by the Democrats to force us to vote from home.

Maybe the ballots were printed on disappearing paper?

It's possible that some of the ballots

could have been shredded because of that.

I heard Trump talking about shredded ballots that he found.

was different this year.

The whole election.

Due to COVID-19, many states expanded mail-in voting options to ensure public safety.

And what about the broken voting machines?

I heard the news announce that Biden won the election.

My neighbor said the ballots were.

transported in trucks driven by Democrats.

I saw on FOX news that they were glitching and

switching Trumps name over to Bidens.

This caused many changes in election procedures.

as expanded use of mail-in ballots or modifications to signature verification processes.

Trump said the ballots were transported in trucks with "Biden 2020" bumper stickers.

The changes in regulation laws are also suspicious.

My great grand-pa told me about how dead people were voting for Biden.

What if the election was stolen?

Biden just wants to take our guns and

control us

I saw a tweet by Donald Trump that

COVID is just a hoax to manipulate the election.

Maybe Biden didn't actually win.

Maybe COVID-19 isn't even real, and it was created by the Democrats to force us to vote from home.

Maybe the ballots were printed on disappearing paper?

End of module

Next up, The Feared Self

Rules

For Example:

• Were supposed to ash our hands for 30 seconds
• Were supposed to lock our doors at night
• Were not supposed to cheat if were in a monogomous relationship

Guidelines that people follow. This can be:

• Social Norms
• Rules
• Expectations
• Laws
• Cultural/religious

• It's against the law to assault somebody
• Were supposed to go to the doctors

#3

Scientists on the News keeps telling us to stay home and social distance to prevent spreading COVID

Consectetur adipiscing elit

Personal Experience

Refusing to drive after experiencing a minor car accidentWashing hands excessively due to a past illness caused by germs.Checking the stove repeatedly due to once leaving it on accidentally.Avoiding gardening after encountering a snake

An individual's reliance on their own past events and observations as evidence to support obsessional doubt

Constantly doubting relationships based on a past betrayal.Avoiding cats due to being scratched by one years ago. Never using public transportation again after getting lost.

Facts

Things that are objectively true.

• People get sick
• Natural disasters happen
• Cars are among the leading causes of accidental deaths worldwide
• Ticks carry diseases
• People get hacked
• Pesticides are used in many agricultural products

#5

It's possible that I could have symptoms without knowing, spread it, and unintentionally harm innocent people.

Have you already solved all the clues?

No

Yes

#4

My grandmother died of COVID-19

#2

The CDC says were supposed to social distance

#1

GERMS EXIST