Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder consisting of intrusive, distressing, repetitive thoughts urging the sufferer to perform certain actions or rituals.

Some common rituals include:

  • Checking things, counting, tapping
  • Repeating actions unnecessarily a fixed number of times
  • Excessive cleaning
  • Excessive rearranging objects

However OCD can take many other forms.

Sometimes a long and complex ritual is developed and if it is interrupted it has to be repeated again from the beginning.

It can be frustrating to observe someone endlessly performing the seemingly bizarre rituals but for the sufferer there will be a distressing feeling of being out of control and an internal struggle between the urge to perform rituals and the rational part of the mind that knows these rituals do
not make sense.

Many sufferers are ashamed of their condition and hide their symptoms. They can withdraw and become isolated.

Essentially the compulsive behaviour is an attempt to keep frightening thoughts, images or impulses at bay e.g. intrusive, repetitive images of the house burning down and repeatedly going back to check the cooker is turned off.

OCD can take over our lives if untreated. Thanks to recent insights and research into how our brains work, we can treat OCD effectively with Human Givens therapy.

I can help you to overcome OCD by helping you to:

  • Understand and demystify OCD
  • See OCD as a “bully”
  • Learn effective relaxation techniques
  • Calm down and manage strong emotions
  • Change your responses to OCD thoughts
  • Identify any emotional needs that are not well met and plan how to introduce the necessary changes
  • Control negative thoughts
  • Deal effectively with traumatic memories