Can you really cure OCD?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder affects millions of people
throughout the world and is a condition where the sufferer
feels compelled to perform irrational and frequently repetitive
behaviors in order to reduce their anxiety. These
obsessions can range from insisting on things being arranged on
their desk in a certain way, to washing their hands dozens of
times a day. What may appear humorous to those who
witness it, is far from funny for the person trying to cope, as
it can be extremely mentally exhausting. Like many mental
disorders there is a cure for OCD as long as you are willing to
put in the time and effort required to overcome the underlying
causes.
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OCD is almost always a symptom of other deeper issues. In
most cases, it is brought on by anxiety that is a result of a
deep emotional problem. This problem must be addressed
before you can deal with the symptoms that are a result of the
problem. Since OCD is a symptom of anxiety, you need to
find out exactly what the causes of your anxiety are. One
of the best ways to do this is to keep a journal and write down
the thoughts that occur before you perform whatever OCD ritual
it is that you are dealing with.
You may need the help of a psychotherapist to find out what the
root cause of your anxieties are but once you have discovered
the cause, you can take the first steps to overcoming the
problem.  Often the problem may have started out with
a traumatic incident in your life that has driven you to
act this way. Once you understand that a previous
trauma can no longer cause you harm or discomfort, you
will be better equipped to confront your fears. Bear
in mind though that you may not be able to confront your
fears immediately, even after you finally understand what
they are.
You will need to teach yourself how to relax your mind to
reduce the anxieties that cause your OCD. Meditation and
deep breathing exercises are highly recommended methods to help
you accomplish this. Meditation is used as a way to focus the
mind on only one conscious thought, usually the thought of
counting your breaths. Once you can bring your mind under
control, you can take the step of facing your fears head
on. You must be prepared to face your fears without
turning to the OCD behavior that you would normally use to cope
with them. You can also incorporate distraction
techniques as a way to help overcome the behaviors. Many
people with OCD take to playing a musical instrument or even
going for long invigorating walks when they feel the symptoms
coming on.
Reduction therapy has also been used successfully to help cure
OCD. For example, the person who must close the door
continuously must withstand the urge to open and close the door
for longer and longer periods of time. OCD can also
include those who feel the compulsive need to hoard certain
items, like paper bags. In this case, the sufferer must
learn to collect one less bag at a time until they can finally
stop altogether.
Whether you suffer from a mild case or a severe case, there is
no short term fix for OCD. It is possible to affect a
cure as long as you are willing to work hard to understand what
is causing your symptoms and work even harder to overcome
them. As you progress, and you feel like you cannot
control the anxiety, it is OK to engage in your OCD ritual to
bring your anxiety levels down. You will find that as
long as you continue to work hard at overcoming your anxiety
the need to do this will gradually fade away along with your
OCD.
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