Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Anxiety Disorder OCD
- Beverley Sinclair Hypnotherapist
- Mar 17, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 28, 2023
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder – OCD – is a mental health condition characterized by disruptions to the lives of those who suffer from it. An anxiety disorder causes intrusive or insistent thoughts which then translate into repetitive behavioural traits which can range from mild to extreme.
Common behaviours can include intrusive and recurrent thoughts, ideas or impulses and they can be worrying, repulsive, obscene or blasphemous. Compulsions are actions an individual feels compelled to perform to reduce the anxiety they feel from an obsession. They are repeated continuously and often carried out without conscious thought. Examples of compulsions include excessive washing and cleaning, counting and touching things, hoarding, incessant rechecking, repeating certain words or phrases and performing ritualistic behaviour. The cause may not be a single or specific event – it could be something as general as a perception that the environment or world isn’t safe in some way – and because the subconscious mind is our inner protector, it creates anxiety – in this case, OCD – to keep us safe.
OCD behaviours may include:
Constantly checking items are in order
Fear of germs or contamination
Constant hand washing
Sticking to a specific order in activities (e.g. when getting dressed/ undressed)
Patterns of touching objects or counting, or word sequences that have to be followed
Fear of consequences happening if particular routines or rituals are not followed
Sometimes the symptoms of OCD can worsen when an individual is feeling overwhelmed or stressed. For others, the symptoms can seem to fade but often resurface at a later date if not properly treated. Fortunately, treatment can help to reduce the impact of OCD symptoms.
WHAT CAUSES OCD?
It is not yet clear where the origin of OCD lies. Research has suggested genetics may be implicated whilst other studies have suggested brain differences, significant life events or personality traits may predispose some people to onset.
Hypnotherapy - OCD Treatment
Many people with OCD experience improvements with treatment. Studies suggest that about 50% of people with OCD will experience full remission of their symptoms after treatment. Many others can significantly improve their quality of life over time.
Psychotherapy is the typical first-line treatment for OCD. Many people with OCD benefit from a particular type of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) known as exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) therapy. In EX/RP therapy, patients gradually learn to confront their obsessions (exposure) while resisting the urge to perform compulsions in response (response prevention).

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