Do you constantly check, count, or repeat things?
Do you have a strong desire to engage in certain behaviours?
Do you obsessively worry about your own or others’ health or death?
Do you have an unhealthy fear of germs, chemicals, or dirt?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you may have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is divided into two main categories:
Obsessions are unwanted, repetitive, and intrusive thoughts that cause irrational fears.
Compulsions are acts or rituals performed in response to obsessions’ fears.
Compulsive hand washing is a classic OCD symptom caused by an irrational fear of germs or contamination.
After carrying out a compulsion, sufferers of this disorder feel less anxious.
It is possible to have obsessive thoughts without the desire to carry out the compulsion.
Excessive cleaning, counting, checking, measuring, and repeating tasks or actions are examples of compulsions. Trichotillomania (obsessive hair pulling) is a condition that falls under the OCD umbrella.
Obsessions include excessive worry about death, germs, illness (often cancer), and the fear of harming others.
OCD is about control, and it usually develops when something else in the person’s life is out of control. It could even be something they can’t possibly control, such as another person’s feelings, thoughts, or behaviour, but OCD is the result of a need to be in control – of something.
It often defies logic, and the person suffering will agonise for hours trying to justify or locate a cause in their past; however, there isn’t always a cause; it’s often just an extreme exaggeration of a personality trait.
Someone who enjoys being tidy may become obsessive about it; someone who is concerned about what others think of them may become paranoid and believe that others are gossiping about them or plotting against them.
OCD sufferers may not realise it’s about control, which isn’t important in reducing the disorder, but they will notice that their symptoms worsen when they’re stressed or anxious.
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy assists OCD sufferers in overcoming their condition by focusing on reducing the underlying anxiety that is causing the obsessive behaviours or thought patterns.
The OCD fades away as the anxiety decreases.
OCD is a common complaint that we help people with here at Mulberry Hypnotherapy. Many people hide their OCD, and you’d be surprised how many people suffer from it.
Coming in for an initial consultation does not obligate you to continue with sessions, but it will assist you in understanding the source of your OCD so that you can regain control.