Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects around 1 in 50 people in the UK. We all check things from time to time, such as making sure that we locked the front door or turned the gas off. However, OCD is when you feel the need to re-check things over and over again in order to feel safe and in control.
OCD is charaterised by 2 main parts- Obsessions and Compulsions.
Obsessions are unreasonable thoughts, images, worries or fears that repeatedly appear in your mind.These obsessions then lead to compulsions, which are repetitive behaviours that you carry out to reduce the anxiety caused by the obsession. Obsessions can cause significant distress and interfere with your daily activities; you may feel that these have taken over your life.
Your experience of OCD will be unique to you. But it is believed that OCD symptoms generally fall into common categories, including:
Intrusive thoughts
Checking
Contamination
Symmetry, ordering and counting
Hoarding
When we are in a life-threatening situation, it is only a natural mechanism for our brain to keep checking the environment for dangers to ensure our safety. However, some people experience this feeling of danger constantly, which creates high levels of anxiety. This further encourages us to carry out the compulsions and to keep checking our environment for dangers until we feel trapped in a vicious circle and find ourselves to have little control over these repeated behaviours and emotions.
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help you reduce your anxiety levels and take back that control.