Obsessive Complusive Disorder ("OCD")
How Hypnotherapy Helps Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (often known as OCD) is a form of anxiety which affects between 1 and 2% of people, regardless of age, social group, gender or ethnic background. This form of anxiety commonly starts in late adolescence or early adulthood, but can begin at any time. Whilst the majority of individuals will at some point in their lives experience stress and anxiety, and perhaps may feel they are acting in an obsessive way about something, they are nonetheless able to live their lives without disruption. This is not the case for those suffering with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
The treatments widely recognised to be the most effective for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder involve relaxation, discussion and challenging of the accuracy and thoughts and beliefs of the sufferer (known as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), and working with sufferers to enable them to practice NOT responding in the habitual manner. Hypnosis is used to enable sufferers to do this, and to explore the outcome of not carrying out the usual rituals. The deep sense of calm and relaxation experienced during hypnotherapy allows the sufferer to get through the experience of feeling compelled to do something, but not in fact doing so, without the high level of anxiety that would normally accompany this. Of course, no catastrophic outcome follows from failure to carry out the obsessive compulsive routine. The sufferer soon gains confidence in the idea that it is not in fact harmful to avoid the compulsive behaviours; and from there a normal routine can gradually be re-established. The practice of refraining from the activity first takes place with the therapist present – a technique known as exposure and response prevention. The client’s ability, initially whilst undergoing hypnotherapy, to ignore the compulsion without undue anxiety makes them more willing and able to continue practising this in daily life.
Hypnotherapy also teaches sufferers to relax, and to learn to switch on relaxation as easily as they are currently able to switch on feelings of anxiety. A general lowering of stress and anxiety levels follows, which in itself means that it is easier for the obsessive compulsive sufferer to “shrug off” the obsessive thoughts, and eventually less likely that such thoughts will occur at all. Anxiety is at the root of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, with sufferers seeking to alleviate anxiety by a series of ritual practices or thought processes – compulsions. Hypnosis and hypnotherapy are a way of teaching sufferers to use relaxation to lower anxiety levels rather than using these distressing, embarrassing and time consuming rituals. Rather than being rewarded by a temporary lowering of anxiety when ritual or repetitive behaviour is performed – which leads the sufferer to feel compelled to repeat the action again shortly afterwards, in order to feel again the relief from anxiety – obsessive compulsive sufferers learn using hypnotherapy to permanently get rid of anxiety, using relaxation. It is a physical impossibility to be relaxed and anxious at the same time, just as you cannot be both hungry and full. In addition to this, hypnotherapy is used to replace negative and troubling thoughts – about germs or dirt, or the consequences of not switching a light on and off nine times, for example – with more realistic, accurate ideas about the true level of risk.
Symptoms of OCD
The symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder vary widely but many people with OCD suffer from one or more of the following: undue fear of dirt or germs, extreme anxiety about making mistakes or saying the wrong thing, excessive fear and anxiety about embarrassment or of behaviour being unacceptable, extreme superstitions, a need for undue order, tidiness or symmetry, anxiety if not constantly reassured, and excessive fear and anxiety about causing harm to others. To overcome the anxiety experienced due to these intrusive and irrational thoughts – obsessions – sufferers of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder form rituals and patterns of behaviour in an attempt to gain peace of mind. These compulsions, to do or say certain things, or to repeat words or thoughts, is understood by sufferers to protect them from bad consequences. These include repeated hand washing or showering/bathing, obsessive cleaning of the home or work environment, collecting or hoarding (due to anxiety that something bad will happen if something is thrown away), repeating actions a certain number of times, checking that actions have been performed – lights and appliances switched off, doors locked, windows shut, items tidied in a particular way – and internal repetition of words, phrases or prayers. This is “magical thinking” – there is of course no evidence that checking ten times that you have locked the garage door will protect your loved ones from, say, a car accident – but the anxiety experienced by sufferers is very real, and temporary relief from stress and anxiety is therefore obtained by repetition of the compulsive behaviour. Sufferers therefore feel the need to continue to repeat the compulsive behaviour in order to gain further relief from the anxiety they feel.
Sufferers of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are aware that their behaviour is abnormal but nevertheless feel unable to control it. They feel compelled to act according to their own internal rules, in a repetitive manner, or to “think things through” in a particular way. It is extremely distressing both for sufferers and for their family and friends. The obsessive behaviours and thoughts patters significantly interfere with work, school, and social and family life, taking anywhere upwards of an hour a day to carry out.
Hypnotherapy is used to help sufferers to examine their thoughts and ideas, to demonstrate that the rituals can be ignored without harm occurring, and to teach deep relaxation. Rather than using compulsive behaviours for temporary relief, sufferers learn that freedom from stress and anxiety IS possible without resorting to rituals which at best are time consuming and disruptive and at worst can take over people’s lives.
