It is said that the true definition of an obsession is an unwanted thought, doubt or image that repeatedly enters the mind. This is the reality for the estimated 750,000 people in the UK who suffer from the condition obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In this article I will look at how OCD potentially develops, the causes of it, different forms of it and what can be done to combat it. I hope that it serves as useful for those suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder and also for those who may suspect that something is not quite right.
It’s important to emphasise that every individual will experience it differently but there are some common themes within individuals that can lead to OCD traits manifesting themselves: overinflated responsibility and overestimation of threat.
So how does OCD develop? Well, like a lot of conditions, there is evidence that it can be both biological and behavioural in nature. There is research that suggests that people with OCD are four times more likely to have another family member with the condition than someone without the disorder. It is also believed to sometimes develop from learned behaviour as over time someone may develop negative thoughts about what they perceive as a threatening situation and to mitigate it certain behaviours arise. The onset of OCD has also been linked in some cases to Streptococcal infections due to chemicals the brain produces in the immune response.
There is another type of OCD known as “pure o“, pure obsession. This is where the individual may experience disturbing and repetitive thoughts often they are in stark contrast to the person’s values and seem to highlight their fears such as thoughts of a distressing sexual or violent nature.
The thoughts themselves can be distressing to someone as they are terrified that they are even capable of having such thoughts, however people experiencing this are the least likely to actually act on their thoughts because they find them so repugnant. But as OCD clients are often so fused with their thoughts, they may think that simply having a distressing thought is the equivalent to carrying it out and that they must be a terrible person for simply having them.
So what can be done to help? Well there are many approaches that can help this condition due to the amount of research that has been carried out. The most important of these is to try and distance yourself from your thoughts, earlier in the article I mentioned how clients with OCD can be fused with their thoughts – well to solve this you need to try and defuse from them. This is called cognitive defusion and is the process of becoming untangled from your thoughts not reacting or becoming caught up with them and seeing them simply as thoughts. It in essence requires you to try and distance yourself the distressing thought and to look at it with detachment.
The other known approaches that may be helpful are mindfulness and exposure response and prevention therapy. I always encourage clients to practice mindful breathing with anything that is anxiety provoking. In people with OCD, with your eyes closed it can be helpful to breathe deeply in and out and as you breathe out imagine the area where you feel uncertainty expanding, store and make room for the doubt. In doing this you are not trying to get rid of the sensation but are calmly learning to tolerate it.
In summary, although obsessive compulsive disorder is a distressing condition that blights people’s lives and comes in many forms there are things out there that can help. I hope any people that are suffering right now can take some comfort from the information in this article and know that distressing thoughts are natural but allowing them to affect your life is not.
I find that the more you understand a problem the more manageable it is, so I hope this article has alleviated some anxiety. Finally please when seeking out any therapist in the treatment of OCD ensure that they are fully trained and have experience of working with the condition and that they always carry out a thorough initial assessment first
