OCD treatment for athletes and performers

OCD treatment for athletes and performers via Telehealth using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Inference-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT), and sport psychology in Long Beach, Los Angeles, South Bay, and all over California.

Schedule Consultation

What’s it like having OCD as an athlete or performer?

When you’re performing, you feel locked in.

You’re not thinking. You’re just doing.

You trust your training, react naturally, and get lost in the moment. For some reason, your OCD does not seem to affect you when you are competing or performing.

But when you step away from your sport or your performance, things can feel completely different.

You spend nights worrying that you might be a terrible person. A thought seems to appear out of nowhere, and suddenly you are questioning what that thought means about you.

Maybe you are relaxing at home when you begin obsessing about the possibility that you could hurt someone. You know the thought feels frightening and unwanted, but your brain keeps returning to it.

You try to reassure yourself:

"I would never do that."

"I am not that kind of person."

"Why did I even have that thought?"

For a moment, the anxiety decreases.

Then the doubt comes back.

Sometimes you are driving home from practice and begin worrying that you might have hit someone with your car. You circle back to check, but even after seeing nothing happened, the uncertainty stays with you.

Maybe you are emailing your coach and rereading the message over and over, checking to make sure you did not accidentally write something embarrassing or inappropriate.

You know these fears do not make sense, but they feel impossible to ignore.

Eventually, the stress becomes exhausting.

You want to get back to enjoying your sport, your relationships, and your life without constantly feeling trapped by your thoughts.

You are finally ready to talk to someone, even though you feel embarrassed or ashamed.

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone.

Many athletes and performers experience OCD, and effective treatment is available.

What is OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition involving obsessions and compulsions.

Obsessions are unwanted thoughts, images, urges, or doubts that create distress.

Compulsions are behaviors or mental rituals that people use to try to reduce anxiety or gain certainty.

For athletes and performers, OCD can be especially confusing because some traits that help people succeed, such as discipline, attention to detail, and high standards, can overlap with OCD symptoms.

The difference is often how much control you feel you have and how much distress these thoughts and behaviors create.

    • Checking

    • Reassurance seeking

    • Replaying conversations

    • Mentally reviewing events

    • Researching online

    • Repeating actions until they feel "right"

For athletes and performers, OCD can be especially confusing because some traits that help people succeed, such as discipline, attention to detail, and high standards, can overlap with OCD symptoms.

The difference is often how much control you feel you have and how much distress these thoughts and behaviors create.

How can OCD affect athletes and performers?

OCD can look different from person to person.

Some athletes experience intrusive thoughts about harming themselves or others.

Some worry about making mistakes that could negatively affect teammates.

Some become stuck trying to achieve the "perfect" performance.

Some spend hours analyzing whether they performed correctly, made the right decision, or followed the right routine.

Common examples of ocd in athletes and performers

Harm OCD

You may have unwanted thoughts about causing harm even though the thoughts go against your values.

Many people with harm OCD become distressed because they believe:

"If I had this thought, maybe it means something about me."

OCD often targets the things people care about most.

Responsibility OCD

Athletes and performers often carry a lot of responsibility.

You may worry:

  • Did I make a mistake?

  • Did I disappoint my team?

  • Did I do something wrong?

  • Could I have prevented something bad from happening?

The search for complete certainty can become exhausting.

Perfectionism and "just right" OCD

Athletes are often praised for high standards.

But OCD perfectionism feels different.

Instead of motivating you, it traps you.

You may find yourself:

  • Repeating drills until they feel perfect

  • Replaying performances for hours

  • Believing one mistake ruins everything

  • Needing absolute confidence before competing

Can athletes have OCD and still perform well?

Yes.

One of the confusing parts of OCD is that it does not always interfere with performance in obvious ways.

Many athletes describe feeling completely focused during competition.

They can practice, compete, and perform at a high level.

Then later, when they are alone, OCD becomes louder.

The problem is not a lack of ability.

The problem is getting stuck in a cycle of intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and attempts to find certainty.

How can athletes and performers get OCD treatment?

I’m Dr. Jason von Stietz, and I have specialized training and experience in OCD, anxiety, and sport performance psychology.

I help athletes and performers using evidence-based approaches to OCD treatment, including:

  • Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

  • Inference-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT)

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

  • Mental skills training informed by sport psychology

Treatment is designed to help you respond differently to OCD while continuing to pursue the activities that matter most to you.

You do not have to give up your sport, performance goals, or identity as an athlete in order to treat OCD.

  • Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is one of the most effective treatments for OCD.

    ERP involves gradually approaching feared thoughts, situations, or feelings while learning not to rely on compulsions to reduce anxiety.

    For example:

    Someone with OCD may feel a strong urge to repeatedly check, seek reassurance, or mentally review a situation.

    ERP helps you practice responding differently.

    The goal is not to make uncomfortable thoughts disappear forever.

    The goal is learning:

    "I can have this thought and still move forward."

    "I can experience uncertainty and still live according to my values."

    This skill is especially important for athletes because competition always involves uncertainty.

  • I-CBT is another evidence-based approach that can be helpful for OCD.

    OCD often pulls people away from what they actually know and into imagined possibilities.

    For example:

    "What if I secretly want to do something terrible?"

    "What if I made a mistake and don't remember?"

    "What if this feeling means something important?"

    I-CBT helps you recognize when OCD is asking you to treat unlikely possibilities as if they are facts.

    Instead of getting trapped in endless analysis, you learn to trust your direct experience and reconnect with the present moment.

  • Sometimes OCD exists alongside other concerns, including:

    • Performance anxiety

    • Panic symptoms

    • Insomnia

    • Depression

    • Burnout

    • Perfectionism

    For athletes, these concerns can become connected.

    For example, worrying about performance may make it harder to sleep. Poor sleep can increase anxiety. Increased anxiety can make OCD symptoms feel stronger.

    A comprehensive approach looks at the whole person, not just one symptom.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Absolutely.

    Many successful athletes and performers experience OCD.

    Having OCD does not mean you lack mental toughness, discipline, or commitment.

  • Not always.

    High standards can be helpful.

    OCD becomes a problem when thoughts and behaviors feel difficult to control and create significant distress or interfere with your life.

  • ERP can feel uncomfortable because it involves facing fears rather than avoiding them.

    However, ERP is done gradually and collaboratively. The goal is not to overwhelm you. The goal is to help you build confidence that you can handle uncertainty.

  • Usually, no.

    In fact, continuing to participate in meaningful activities can be an important part of treatment.

    Treatment should support your life, not take you away from it.

  • If OCD symptoms are affecting your life or performance, it is important to work with someone trained in evidence-based OCD treatment.

    A clinician who also understands athletes and performers can help integrate OCD treatment with your performance goals.

Schedule a Free Consultation

If OCD is interfering with your sport, performance, relationships, or enjoyment of life, you do not have to manage it alone.

Whether you are dealing with intrusive thoughts, compulsions, perfectionism, or anxiety about uncertainty, we can work together to develop a treatment plan that fits your goals.

Let’s schedule a free phone consultation.

We’ll talk about what you are experiencing, answer your questions, and figure out whether working together makes sense.

If we are not the right fit, I will help you find someone who is better suited to your needs.

Schedule Consultation