Module 4: Bridging Client Copy

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

Bridging

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.

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.

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

Baron-Cohen S, Lombardo MV. Autism and talent: the cognitive and neural basis of systemizing. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017 Dec;19(4):345-353. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.4/sbaroncohen. PMID: 29398930; PMCID: PMC5789212.

Baron-Cohen S, Ashwin E, Ashwin C, Tavassoli T, Chakrabarti B. Talent in autism: hyper-systemizing, hyper-attention to detail and sensory hypersensitivity. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2009 May 27;364(1522):1377-83. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2008.0337. PMID: 19528020; PMCID: PMC2677592.

Crespi B. Pattern Unifies Autism. Front Psychiatry. 2021 Feb 12;12:621659. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.621659. PMID: 33643094; PMCID: PMC7907419.

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B (2009) 354, 1377-1383doi: 10.1098/rstb.2008.0337

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.

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

Our brains like to make up stories based on what we

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.

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

Our brains like to make up stories based on what we

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

see around us.

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

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.

Our brains like to make up stories based on what we

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

see around us.

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.

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 cat jumped out of the window

Tom ordered a third beer

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 cat jumped out of the window

Tom ordered a third beer

and knocked over Tom's second beer, so

into the pub.

the street

He jumped up

and ran along

on the table

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 cat jumped out of the window

Tom ordered a third beer

and knocked over Tom's second beer, so

into the pub.

the street

He jumped up

and ran along

on the table

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

birthday

Your

Abductions

Alien

flooding

Your basment

Winning

A snow day

Losing your

A bad nights sleep

phone

Getting fired

Getting a puppy

the

lottery

My door locked fine

OCD will link a perception/trigger with a doubt

What if it could still be open?

which then creates a story

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

My door locked fine

What if it could still be open?

Doors do get left open

OCD will link a perception/trigger with a doubt

I can't see the lock mechanism

which then creates a story

I left my door

unlocked last week

fault in the lock

but there could be

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

My door locked fine

What if it could still be open?

Doors do get left open

OCD will link a perception/trigger with a doubt

which then creates a story

I can't see the lock mechanism

I left my door

unlocked last week

fault in the lock

but there could be

OCD will link a perception/trigger with a doubt

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

My door locked fine

What if it could still be open?

Doors do get left open

Remember Module 2, the Logic of OCD

The reasonings of what makes up your OCD

I can't see the lock mechanism

I left my door

unlocked last week

but there could be

fault in the lock

but there could be

Trigger

Possibility

Fact

Personal Experience

Fact

Doubt

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

Booking the wedding venue

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

Trigger

Doubt

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

Booking the wedding venue

but there could be

There are quite a few things about

the wedding i'm not 100% certian

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

amazing reviews

This venue has

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

Trigger

Hearsay

Personal Experience

Personal Experience

Hearsay/rule

Doubt

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

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

What if i'm a bad person?

Doubt

Getting a promotion

exercise

Borrow from somebody else's OCD doubt first

Volunteering on the weekends

Celebrating your favorite holiday

Spending time with loved ones

Getting a new pet

Feeding the homeless

Triggers

The therapist will choose random objects around the room

Another exercise

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?

FACT

POSSIBILITY

HEARSAY

POSSIBILITY

FACT

POSSIBILITY

DOUBT

PersonalConspiracy theories

POSSIBILITY

TRIGGER

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

HEARSAY

RULES

FACTS

DOUBT

It's against the law to liter

People cheat

We are supposed to make eye contact

I could accidentally hit somebody with my car

I could get into a car accident

Accidents happen

Pedestrians get hit by cars

Planes do crash

Children get hurt

Adverse reactions happen

The bible says we should not sin

Somebody broke into my house in the past

Sociopaths exist

We are supposed to show up to work on time

My old babysitter told me about how one time her child chocked on a grape

During my school announcements they said that one of our classmates got into a car accident

We're supposed to lock our doors at night

My grandfather told me that people my generation are careless

I saw on a documentary a boy swam in a lake and got a brain eating parasite

I once read in a magazine that sociopaths don't have emotions

A friend once told me that it's rude to share relatable experiences

My coworker told me about a time that our boss fired somebody without any warning

When I was younger I had an adverse reaction to a medication that made me sick

I failed my algebra exam

I was fired from a job

A meteor could come crashing through my house

I had COVID-19 last year

It's possible I could develop schizophrenia

I could win the lottery

Even though I lock my doors at night, there is still a chance somebody could break in.

I read an online article about a woman that had no symptoms of brain cancer

Biden just wants to take our guns and

What if the election was stolen?

Maybe Biden didn't actually win.

control us

It's possible that some of the ballots

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

I saw a tweet by Donald Trump that

Maybe the ballots were printed on disappearing paper?

My neighbor said the ballots were.

transported in trucks driven by Democrats.

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

was different this year.

This caused many changes in election procedures.

The changes in regulation laws are also suspicious.

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

I saw on FOX news that they were glitching and

I heard Trump talking about shredded ballots that he found.

And what about the broken voting machines?

switching Trumps name over to Bidens.

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

The whole election.

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

COVID is just a hoax to manipulate the election.

could have been shredded because of that.

I heard the news announce that Biden won the election.

Biden just wants to take our guns and

What if the election was stolen?

Maybe Biden didn't actually win.

control us

It's possible that some of the ballots

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

I saw a tweet by Donald Trump that

Maybe the ballots were printed on disappearing paper?

My neighbor said the ballots were.

transported in trucks driven by Democrats.

This caused many changes in election procedures.

was different this year.

The changes in regulation laws are also suspicious.

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

I saw on FOX news that they were glitching and

I heard Trump talking about shredded ballots that he found.

And what about the broken voting machines?

switching Trumps name over to Bidens.

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

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

The whole election.

COVID is just a hoax to manipulate the election.

I heard the news announce that Biden won the election.

could have been shredded because of that.

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

Biden just wants to take our guns and

What if the election was stolen?

Maybe Biden didn't actually win.

control us

It's possible that some of the ballots

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

I saw a tweet by Donald Trump that

Maybe the ballots were printed on disappearing paper?

My neighbor said the ballots were.

transported in trucks driven by Democrats.

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

was different this year.

This caused many changes in election procedures.

The changes in regulation laws are also suspicious.

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

I saw on FOX news that they were glitching and

I heard Trump talking about shredded ballots that he found.

And what about the broken voting machines?

switching Trumps name over to Bidens.

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

The whole election.

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

COVID is just a hoax to manipulate the election.

could have been shredded because of that.

I heard the news announce that Biden won the election.

Next up, The Feared Self

End of module

For Example:

Guidelines that people follow. This can be:

Rules

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

• 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

• 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

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

Consectetur adipiscing elit

Personal Experience

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.

• 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

Things that are objectively true.

Facts

#5

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

No

Yes

Have you already solved all the clues?

#4

My grandmother died of COVID-19

The CDC says were supposed to social distance

#2

#1

GERMS EXIST