OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be classified as ranging from mild to severe. When it becomes severe it is considered to be one of the top ten most disabling illnesses.
OCD can appear in many different forms, including repeatedly checking e.g. locks and light switches etc. also hand washing, hypochondria and hoarding. Symmetry obsessions occur where people are compelled to repeat any task a set number of times such as opening and closing a door or elaborate counting or tapping sequences. These can be exhausting and extremely detrimental to the daily life of the individual and cause great distress to them and those close to them.
Among the many symptoms of Anxiety and Stress are obsessive thoughts. When we have underlying Stress or Anxiety due to an event or situation e.g. a relationship or work-related problem, this is perceived as a danger signal.
We are therefore prompted to be on the lookout for danger and threats. Consequently, our raised feelings of Anxiety can lead us to perceive that our entire environment is filled with threats and dangers.
Our brains evolved over a long time to deal with real physical dangers such as wild animals. In our modern lives stress and anxiety usually take many different forms and there is often no physical threat. However, our brain will prompt us to take some form of action to counter the threat. As we cannot fight or run away from a threat we cannot see, we can develop behaviours intended to keep us safe, such as constant checking and rechecking of doors, locks, light switches etc. We can also develop many and varied rituals such as repeated hand washing, arranging things in order, counting or hoarding. A sufferer can also experience distressing, obsessive thoughts regarding suffering bad luck, or their lives being adversely affected if they do not carry out the ritual or behaviour.
This can be extremely distressing and disruptive to the lives of a sufferer and their families.
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help reduce OCD and Obsessive thinking by reducing any Anxiety and Stress you may be experiencing in your daily life. This will relax the area of our brain that encourages potentially destructive and distressing coping behaviours such as OCD.
