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Challenge inflated responsibility beliefs that drive OCD by examining the appraisal and generating realistic alternatives.
OCD often relies on an inflated sense of responsibility: "If I don't check, and something bad happens, it will be my fault." This worksheet helps you identify the responsibility appraisal behind a specific obsession, examine whether the level of responsibility you're assigning is realistic, and consider what you would say to a friend in the same situation.
Use during the cognitive restructuring phase when inflated responsibility has been identified as a key maintaining factor in the formulation. Particularly relevant for clients with checking, harm, and religious/moral OCD themes.
Introduce via a Socratic dialogue exploring the client's sense of responsibility for preventing harm. Use the pie chart technique to redistribute perceived responsibility across all contributing factors before completing the worksheet.
For clients with very rigid responsibility beliefs, begin with hypothetical scenarios involving other people before applying to their own intrusions. For perfectionistic clients, emphasise that the goal is a more balanced appraisal, not a 'correct' answer.
Not appropriate as a standalone intervention for clients whose OCD is primarily maintained by intolerance of uncertainty or disgust sensitivity rather than inflated responsibility. Avoid if cognitive work is being used to avoid engaging in behavioural experiments.
Link responsibility reappraisal directly to behavioural experiments — e.g., if the client reappraises responsibility downward, test this by reducing the associated compulsion. Watch for intellectual agreement without emotional shift, which suggests the need for experiential work.
Suitable for clients working with ocd, responsibility, salkovskis, cbt, cognitive restructuring, inflated responsibility, appraisal. This tool can be used as a standalone worksheet or as part of a structured homework plan.
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