Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD is a severely limiting condition that affects people from all walks of life. Although some obsessiveness can be a good thing, for instance, obsessed with achieving a goal, obsessive-compulsive disorder goes far beyond a healthy obsession.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by uncontrollable, unwanted thoughts, and repetitive, ritualized behaviors you feel compelled to perform. People afflicted with OCD often have repeated, unwanted thoughts that torment them. Unfortunately, most people with OCD feel they have no control over the ideas or the compulsions.
A common symptom of OCD is checking something over and over again. Verifying that you locked the door, turned the stove off, washed your hands, etc. These patterns can severely interrupt the flow of a healthy life. A feeling of impending doom always exists within those afflicted with OCD and sometimes described as living your life looking through the rearview mirror.
Neuro-linguistic programming or NLP, which is a combination of hypnosis and psychiatry, works on the symptoms of OCD by reframing the beliefs associated with OCD. A person who is affected by OCD has an exaggerated sense of responsibility. This feeling often manifests as never feeling “good enough.” NLP helps the client to remove this feeling of ultimate responsibility.
NLP also can aid in removing the feeling of impending doom that people who suffer from OCD exhibit. By working on the underlying belief systems in the subconscious mind, NLP can “re-file” how the brain perceives various situations.
Many people afflicted by OCD use cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT, where one examines obsessions and thoughts from a more logical point of view. CBT can be beneficial in some instances. However, many people with OCD have “feelings” of impending doom, and feelings are sometimes challenging to affect with logic. Using the techniques of NLP, such as Collapse Anchors, can re-train the brain to feel something different in the same situation.
Rather than relying on one technique, NLP uses a variety of approaches to alleviating the underlying causes of OCD. Of course, if you are diagnosed with OCD, be sure to check with your physician to ensure that complementary therapy is right for you.
