POCD is not the same thing as pedophilic disorder. This is a subtype of OCD and the person is not attracted to children. This means that the thoughts are incredibly distressing and feared by the individual suffering with this.

There is frequent overlap of those who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse and experiencing this OCD subtype. The CDC website states that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 20 boys experience sexual abuse by the time they are 18 years old. This number is underreported due to the challenges in gathering accurate measures.

Due to the common overlap of POCD and childhood sexual abuse as well as the heartbreaking statistics of childhood sexual abuse survivors, it makes this topic demand attention. Increased awareness and lowered stigma means more people who have potentially already been victimized, will find further healing and hopefully less and less shame.

If you are struggling with POCD, please know that this topic may be “taboo”, however a seasoned OCD therapist would not find the subject shocking. It’s much more common than people think and you are not alone. We are here to help.

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