OCD

 

Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a serious anxiety-related condition where a person experiences frequent intrusive and unwelcome obsessional thoughts, often followed by repetitive compulsions, impulses or urges.

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The illness affects as many as 12 in every 1000 people (1.2% of the population) from young children to adults, regardless of gender or social or cultural background. In fact, it can be so debilitating and disabling that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has actually ranked OCD in the top ten of the most disabling illnesses of any kind, in terms of lost earnings and diminished quality of life.

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Based on current estimates for the UK population, there are potentially around 741,504 people living with OCD at any one time.   But it is worth noting that a disproportionately high number, 50% of all these cases, will fall into the severe category, with less than a quarter being classed as mild cases.

OCD presents itself in many guises, and certainly goes far beyond the common perception that OCD is merely hand washing or checking light switches. In general, OCD sufferers experience obsessions which take the form of persistent and uncontrollable thoughts, images, impulses, worries, fears or doubts. They are often intrusive, unwanted, disturbing, significantly interfere with the ability to function on a day-to-day basis as they are incredibly difficult to ignore. People with OCD often realise that their obsessional thoughts are irrational, but they believe the only way to relieve the anxiety caused by them is to perform compulsive behaviours, often to prevent perceived harm happening to themselves or, more often than not, to a loved one.

 

After the free initial consultation, the client already has a great knowledge of why the brain reacts in the way that it does in terms of obsessional behaviours.  With the high levels of anxiety, stress and or depression, the part of your brain that looks after you in times of need is in constant red alert.   Clients obsessions can start in many ways namely, when they were a child, after a specific traumatic event,  perhaps as an adult when they suffered a tragic loss or quite often they have no recollection of how they have come to this point.  I often hear them saying “I used to be fine but now I can’t do…”  I explain to the client that the actual ‘creation’ of the obsession doesn’t matter, in fact it doesn’t matter at all because if we are going to rid them of this disorder, they have to start to focus on where they want to get to, not where they have been or how it was created.  OCD suffers can live too much in the past, analysing where they have gone wrong in their life or how it would be so different if the ‘event’ didn’t happen.  Life will through all sorts at us all but it is how we deal with it that either allows us to progress forwards with happiness and confidence or keeps us back in a constant cycle of negative obsession.

 

Thankfully, Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help, we change the thought patterns of our clients to allow for the upwards spiral of thought creating a more positive, calm individual that is ready to leave their obsessional behaviour behind.