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

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.

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.

Hyper-systemizing

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

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.

see around us.

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.

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

see around us.

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.

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

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

see around us.

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.

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.

on the table

and ran along

He jumped up

the street

into the pub.

and knocked over Tom's second beer, so

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.

on the table

and ran along

He jumped up

the street

into the pub.

and knocked over Tom's second beer, so

Tom ordered a third beer

The cat jumped out of the window

lottery

the

Getting a puppy

Getting fired

phone

A bad nights sleep

Losing your

A snow day

Winning

Your basment

flooding

Alien

Abductions

Your

birthday

Watching TV

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

which then creates a story

What if it could still be open?

OCD will link a perception/trigger with a doubt

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.

but there could be

fault in the lock

unlocked last week

I left my door

which then creates a story

I can't see the lock mechanism

OCD will link a perception/trigger with a doubt

Doors do get left open

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

but there could be

fault in the lock

unlocked last week

I left my door

I can't see the lock mechanism

which then creates a story

OCD will link a perception/trigger with a doubt

Doors do get left open

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.

Doubt

Fact

Personal Experience

Fact

Possibility

Trigger

but there could be

fault in the lock

but there could be

unlocked last week

I left my door

I can't see the lock mechanism

The reasonings of what makes up your OCD

Remember Module 2, the Logic of OCD

Doors do get left open

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.

Doubt

Trigger

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.

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

Doubt

Hearsay/rule

Personal Experience

Personal Experience

Hearsay

Trigger

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

This venue has

amazing reviews

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

the wedding i'm not 100% certian

There are quite a few things about

but there could be

Booking the wedding venue

Triggers

Feeding the homeless

Getting a new pet

Spending time with loved ones

Celebrating your favorite holiday

Volunteering on the weekends

Borrow from somebody else's OCD doubt first

exercise

Getting a promotion

Doubt

What if i'm a bad person?

You are going to bridge these objects to your obsessional doubt

Another exercise

The therapist will choose random objects around the room

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

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.

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.

Baader–Meinhof phenomenon (aka Frequency illusion)

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

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.

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.

Baader–Meinhof phenomenon (aka Frequency illusion)

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

DOUBT

FACTS

RULES

HEARSAY

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

TRIGGER

POSSIBILITY

I heard the news announce that Biden won the election.

could have been shredded because of that.

COVID is just a hoax to manipulate the election.

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

The whole election.

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

switching Trumps name over to Bidens.

And what about the broken voting machines?

I heard Trump talking about shredded ballots that he found.

I saw on FOX news that they were glitching and

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

The changes in regulation laws are also suspicious.

This caused many changes in election procedures.

was different this year.

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

transported in trucks driven by Democrats.

My neighbor said the ballots were.

Maybe the ballots were printed on disappearing paper?

I saw a tweet by Donald Trump that

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

It's possible that some of the ballots

control us

Maybe Biden didn't actually win.

What if the election was stolen?

Biden just wants to take our guns and

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

could have been shredded because of that.

I heard the news announce that Biden won the election.

COVID is just a hoax to manipulate the election.

The whole election.

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

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

switching Trumps name over to Bidens.

And what about the broken voting machines?

I heard Trump talking about shredded ballots that he found.

I saw on FOX news that they were glitching and

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

The changes in regulation laws are also suspicious.

was different this year.

This caused many changes in election procedures.

transported in trucks driven by Democrats.

My neighbor said the ballots were.

Maybe the ballots were printed on disappearing paper?

I saw a tweet by Donald Trump that

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

It's possible that some of the ballots

control us

Maybe Biden didn't actually win.

What if the election was stolen?

Biden just wants to take our guns and

I heard the news announce that Biden won the election.

could have been shredded because of that.

COVID is just a hoax to manipulate the election.

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

The whole election.

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

switching Trumps name over to Bidens.

And what about the broken voting machines?

I heard Trump talking about shredded ballots that he found.

I saw on FOX news that they were glitching and

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

The changes in regulation laws are also suspicious.

This caused many changes in election procedures.

was different this year.

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

transported in trucks driven by Democrats.

My neighbor said the ballots were.

Maybe the ballots were printed on disappearing paper?

I saw a tweet by Donald Trump that

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

It's possible that some of the ballots

control us

Maybe Biden didn't actually win.

What if the election was stolen?

Biden just wants to take our guns and

End of module

Next up, The Feared Self

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

• 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

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

Rules

Guidelines that people follow. This can be:

For Example:

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

#3

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.

Personal Experience

Consectetur adipiscing elit

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

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

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

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

#5

Have you already solved all the clues?

Yes

No

My grandmother died of COVID-19

#4

#2

The CDC says were supposed to social distance

GERMS EXIST

#1