Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options
- Beverley Sinclair Hypnotherapist
- Oct 22
- 2 min read
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition that significantly disrupts the lives of those who suffer from
it. An anxiety disorder leads to persistent or intrusive thoughts, resulting in repetitive behaviors that can vary from mild to severe.
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.
Hypnotherapy and OCD
Therapies that involve talking are immensely effective in reducing anxiety and helping you to change your mindset and thought processes. These are crucial to coping with, reducing and sometimes eliminating OCD obsessions and compulsions. As a talking therapy, hypnotherapy is one of the most powerful and effective available. Cognitive therapy is a structured therapy that aims to help individuals gain a deeper understanding of their specific triggers, which are often the root causes of their obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Identifying these triggers, individuals can begin to recognise the patterns that lead to their distress and learn how to manage their responses. The therapy focuses on replacing obsessive coping strategies that may have developed over time with healthier, more constructive methods of dealing with anxiety and discomfort. This process is essential for encouraging resilience and promoting long-term recovery.
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