Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety based disorder. Essentially, an individual experiences recurrent obsessive thoughts relating to a perceived danger or threat, from which they need to escape or avoid at all costs. Sometimes the person may not be fully consciously aware of the nature of the perceived threat and may simply sense an extreme fearfulness that something might happen.
If you suffer with OCD, you probably focus on your thoughts as the cause of the problem, believing it is to do with the ‘way you think.’ However in order to move on from OCD it is essential to understand what is driving the anxiety that feeds your thoughts.
Most of us have a bit of OCD from time to time – liking things to be ‘just so’ for example – neatness in cushions, ornaments, towels, double-checking we’ve locked the car or the front door, or even needing the table to be laid a certain way for dinner! These little quirks fill just a tiny part of our normal day, however if you suffer with OCD you will obsessively invest hours of time in order to make things OK for you. Rituals may include cleaning, checking, counting, hoarding, ordering, problem solving, and superstitions. At times, obsessive thinking may focus on your body shape, your body’s smell or your health.
As an OCD sufferer you are aware that your behaviour is irrational and unreasonable, but that doesn’t help you to stop. Instead, you wrestle with your thoughts and you may feel agitated and increasingly anxious that you are losing your grip.
If you are experiencing compulsive or obsessive ideas, thoughts, impulses or images that are intrusive and interruptive for generally more than an hour in a day, I can help you to understand what is driving your fears. As we work together, we will create healthier coping mechanisms in thoughts and behaviours. As you grow to understand yourself and your needs more fully, you will find it easier to break out of those old patterns of insecurity and choose to move forward into a safer, more peaceful and self-accepting place within yourself. |
