OCD - More Just Being Clean & Tidy

OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder to give it its full name is actually more common than you might think, with it affecting 1 in 50 people in the UK. Now, here we should remember that OCD is a diagnosed mental health condition, not just someone that likes to be tidy and have things looking neat who considers themselves to be “a bit OCD”.

OCD hand washing

When you suffer from OCD, you will often believe that something terrible is going to happen if you don’t carry out a particular ritual and it is so encompassing that you feel that completing that ritual is the most important thing in your world at that moment and you’ll drop everything else to be able to do it. In fact, OCD can be so debilitating that the World Health Organisation has ranked it in the top 10 disabling illnesses, in terms of loss of earnings and diminished quality of life.

Perhaps it’s unsurprising then that three-quarters of people with OCD will also have depression.

OCD doesn’t only manifest itself as compulsions though, it can also present as anger, anxiety, panic attacks and phobic avoidance of situations related to obsessions (e.g. dirt/contamination).

When you suffer from OCD, your thoughts are largely driven by your primitive mind, an obsessional part of the brain that is there to ensure your survival. However, when suffering from OCD, this part becomes overactive and makes you believe that harm will happen, even in situations where you are perfectly safe. In Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, I will help you calm that part of the mind and get more control of your intellectual brain that helps you to make a proper assessment of the situation.

I explain this in much more detail in the free no-obligation consultation that I offer so if you would like to find out more, let me know.

Call 07557 157084 or email info@theanxietypractice.co.uk.