Obsessive and disturbing thoughts, fixation on special actions, which sometimes develop into entire rituals... Sometimes all this speaks not of simple oddities, but of symptoms of mental illness. What is obsessive-compulsive disorder, what are its causes and how is it treated?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be characterized as an uncontrolled manifestation of negative obsessive thoughts and fears, which the patient tries to get rid of through the same obsessive actions (compulsions).
Symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessions, or intrusive thoughts
Obsessions are recurring thoughts, images, or urges that cause anxiety, worry, shame, or disgust. They arise uncontrollably, and patients cannot drive them away through logical arguments. A person with OCD tries to suppress such obsessions by “interrupting” them with other thoughts or actions. Typical obsessive thoughts in OCD are the fear of contamination, the need for symmetry or precision, certain immoral ideas or impulses that are alien to the personality of the patient himself. Obsessions can be triggered by any events that somehow indirectly remind of their object - for example, an extraneous cough, contact with a “non-sterile” object (handrails, door handles, etc.)
Compulsions, or obsessive actions
To combat obsessions, OCD patients perform defensive, repetitive actions (compulsions). Compulsions are similar to peculiar rituals that “prevent” the embodiment of negative thoughts and fears. Washing hands too often, wiping objects, constantly checking electrical appliances, repeating words, counting. For example, to make sure that the door is locked, a person with OCD needs to pull the door handle a specific number of times (and count the times). After such a ritual, the patient feels relief for a while, but then the obsessive thoughts return, and everything repeats again and again. In severe cases, compulsions can take up a huge amount of the patient's time, interfering with daily activities. A patient with OCD describes his condition as follows:
I've always had a terrible fear of bacteria, to the point where I washed my hands dozens of times a day, but I didn't think it had anything to do with OCD. Then it became unbearable for me to be at home in the same clothes in which I went out, I could not eat bread in the place where I grabbed it with my hands, I carefully examined all the dishes before using them. It began to take up more and more time and attention and interfered with my life.
At the same time, compulsions are often accompanied by a feeling of depression and melancholy, because a person with OCD does not lose the awareness that such actions are irrational and meaningless.
What are obsessions and compulsions?
Most often, obsessive thoughts and fears are centered around certain topics. The most common of them are cleanliness and sterility, perfectionism, loss of control, religiosity, and forbidden sexual acts. The rituals that “protect” a person with OCD from these thoughts and “prevent” fears can vary. Most often, the nature of the obsession determines a certain type of compulsion.
| Obsessions | Compulsions |
Fear of pollution
| Washing and cleaning
|
Loss of control over yourself or a situation
An OCD patient is afraid of accidentally hitting her child. The patient is tormented by the fear of dropping something along the way. | Examination
The patient constantly checks whether he is okay, hides all knives and other sharp objects from herself. Every few meters along the way, the patient turns around to look for a possibly fallen item. |
Obsession with the “ideal”
The patient perceives the number “three” as special and correct; inconsistency with this number causes him anxiety. | Repetition and ordering
The patient begins to repeat each action three times: for example, rereads sentences three times, blinks three times, etc. The patient holds her breath while performing these actions, feeling that this “protects” her from negative experiences. |
Unwanted sexual thoughts
The patient is tormented by fear of attraction to older people | Mental actions
The patient avoids looking them in the eyes, repeats a certain phrase in his mind that would “drown out” possible unwanted thoughts |
It has been noticed that the stronger the patient’s desire to resist obsessive thoughts, the more clearly the obsessive-compulsive neurosis manifests itself. The efforts not only do not give the desired result, they further aggravate the problem - the obsessions return in an even more pronounced form.
When such conditions occur, it is very important not to try to cope with the problem on your own - only a doctor can provide effective professional assistance.
Standing on nails.
Standing on nails means going through pain. Attention is so focused on bodily sensations that after the nails there is peace and grace in the head. You don’t have to be afraid of the pain itself; it won’t cause physical damage. Everything has been calculated and tested by 100,000 people before you. Nails won't pierce your feet :).
In the first minutes, your brain will be fussing, imagining options in your head about how much of a terrible process you have gotten yourself involved in; more than a dozen times, under various pretexts, it will report that it’s time to get off the nails. This is what you have to go through to get to inner silence.
It’s better to stand with a mentor, at least for the first time. Let the master explain, guide, advise. The pain lasts for the first few minutes, then other, more profound processes may unfold over a long period of time. Standing on nails, on a sadhu board, is the practice of going through pain.
- Execution in a team: it’s interesting to watch people standing on nails :).
- With a leader: the first time with a leader.
- Duration: from 30 minutes. If it is less, then you can assume that you were not standing.
- You can order the board here - sadhu boards.
If you want to experience the states described in the article, then choose your favorite interaction option below. Buttons 1, 2, 3, 4 are active. Click for details. Any of the 8 ways to stop thoughts or all 8 methods will work for you right away if you start practicing them correctly. 1. Online. Consultation or online training.
- Consultation for a practitioner. 1000 rubles.
- Consultation for the presenter. 3000 rubles.
- Online training “Zeroing”. 15,000 rubles.
- Military video exercise to stop thoughts. 290 rubles.
Consultation. Recommendations for participation: how to prepare for any of the 8 practices, how to create internal flow, how not to harm your health, how to complete the practice. Drawing up a step-by-step plan for mastering the practice for 6 or 12 months, taking into account your level of health, nutrition and experience. Answers on questions. Cost from 1000 rubles.
Consultation. Recommendations for the presenter: personal preparation for practice, preparation of participants, aspects of streaming, nuances of completion, competent closure of all processes. Answers on questions. Cost from 3000 rubles.
Online training “Zeroing”. 30-day personal training on stopping the flow of thoughts, stopping the internal dialogue under my guidance. Over 30 days, together with you we will go through a series of practices leading to the inner point of silence. Reset. It is a place of rest, a place of gaining strength, a place where it is best to start all over again. I know how to get there. I'll show you around. The cost of a personal 30-day online training is 15,000 rubles.
You can let us know what you are interested in via telegram, WhatsApp, Viber +7(927)168-33-86.
2. Practice or program in your space.
If there is a request to conduct a practice or a program of practices in the direction of stopping the flow of thoughts, stopping the internal dialogue, then you can invite me as a leader. You are responsible for organizing transportation to your location and back, organizing accommodation, meals, and conditions for conducting practices. I am responsible for creating streaming conditions for participants, debugging security and conducting. More details in telegram, whatsapp, viber +7(927)168-33-86.
3. Chat on stopping and speeding up thoughts.
Telegram chat with free access. In the chat you can talk about your practices with thinking, ask a question, express an opinion. Access to the chat is free. Chat link.
4. Military stopping exercise.
Video exercise that the military uses to stop thoughts. Allows you to spherically feel and see space. Cost 290 rubles. To purchase, write to Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber.
Diagnosis of OCD
According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), to make a diagnosis, it is important that obsessions and/or compulsions have been observed with noticeable frequency for at least two consecutive weeks and are accompanied by a state of distress. Symptoms must have the following characteristics:
- The patient's thoughts or impulses are his own, not caused by external factors.
- There is at least one thought or action that the patient tries unsuccessfully to resist.
- The thought of performing a compulsive action is in itself unpleasant (merely reducing tension or anxiety is not considered pleasant in this sense).
- Thoughts, images, or impulses repeat themselves in a stereotypical manner.
When diagnosing OCD, it is important to separate its symptoms from those of other diseases. Obsessions and compulsions can develop during exacerbations of schizophrenia, as well as with Tourette's syndrome. Problems similar to OCD may also be characteristic of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. But if people with OCD realize that their obsessive actions are irrational, and they themselves experience discomfort from them, for a person with a personality disorder, the obsessive desire for accuracy is perceived as a manifestation of perfectionism and brings him pleasure.
Where do negative thoughts come from?
When a person has a stream of depressing thoughts, this can happen for a variety of reasons. This often happens due to stress or emotional burnout. It is very important to pay attention to such experiences. The point is not so much to contain negative emotions, but to become aware of them and notice them. Once you do this, there will be much fewer of them.
Photo: istockphoto.com
And you can fight annoying thoughts in different ways. Let's tell you more about some of them.
Treatment of OCD at the Mental Health Clinic
At the Mental Health clinic, under the leadership of its founder, MD, psychiatrist V.L. Minutko, the author of the book “Obsessive Disorders” (the first complete guide to this problem in 100 years), has experienced doctors who have been successfully treating obsessive-compulsive disorders for more than ten years.
In our clinic, treatment of obsessive disorders is carried out comprehensively and strictly according to an individual program . We take into account not only the clinical picture of the disease, but also the personal data of each individual patient. It is necessary to start treatment as early as possible - only in this case will it be as effective as possible.
One of the advantages of our clinic is that the diagnosis and future treatment plan is necessarily discussed with the patient. The doctor introduces the patient to the basic methods used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorders, the examinations performed, as well as the clinical symptoms of the disease (we have found that obsessive-compulsive neurosis is caused by chronic infections, such as staphylococcal or streptococcal).
The clinic's medical facilities include an outpatient center in Moscow, as well as a 24-hour sanatorium-type hospital in the Moscow region with the possibility of accommodation for relatives. Depending on the indications, as well as personal preferences, patients can choose the most suitable treatment option for themselves.
Creative techniques
Another way to clear your mind is to draw with your eyes closed or with an unfamiliar hand. If you are right-handed, try drawing while holding a pencil in your left hand; if you are left-handed, do the opposite. You can also try creating a picture using your fingers or feet.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Singing, dancing, reading poems (you can choose to suit your mood and read out loud) - all this can help get rid of bad thoughts.
Interaction with fire.
The practice of interacting with fire is similar to speaking. Fire becomes the only interlocutor-listener. How to proceed here, step by step instructions:
- Create conditions so that no one will distract you.
- Light a candle/fireplace/bonfire.
- Position yourself opposite so that it is comfortable for you to contemplate.
- Mentally turn to the fire. Greet the elements.
- Share your intentions for this interaction.
- Tell him everything you think about, what worries you.
- When you have shared everything you wanted, continue to simply contemplate.
- When you feel complete, thank them for the interaction.
When you do step 5, you can declare a desire to find inner peace or a desire to get an answer to a worrying question. The effect will not appear from the first approach. Just keep going. Every approach and every interaction is a setup for a deeper next contact. You can feel tangible results after 4 weeks of daily practice.
- Performing as a team: creates a supportive atmosphere.
- With the host: helps you get in the mood.
- Duration: from 20 minutes.
Practice silence.
It is also called mouna or the practice of silence. It is best to spend it outdoors or in a secluded place. During the absence of external communication, internal energy begins to accumulate. The more it becomes, the more the brain begins to fuss and demands expression. But there are no expressions in the form of words and interactions. When the limit of internal mental turmoil is reached, thinking collapses and calms itself. This is the compensation mechanism. What follows is a state of inner calm and presence.
During this practice, you will face most of your inner fears, doubts, and thoughts that bother you. They will pop up and demand attention to themselves, demand a solution. You can observe them, give them the opportunity to exist, let them pass further. Just don’t think about them, don’t solve them. Let them flow through you. Don't cling. What will happen next, when the wave passes, you will see for yourself. The leader will give you more subtle and deeper settings on how to deal with thoughts during practice.
This is one of the longest practices. At the same time, the effect of calm and tranquility that is born in the process is much more long-term and lasting than in other methods. Such an event can last from 4 hours to several weeks.
- Execution in a team: helps speed up the process.
- With the presenter: it’s clearer what to do with what’s happening inside.
- Duration: from 4 hours.
When I lived in the city, I went for a day to walk in the fields. Didn't talk or interact with anyone. Went out in the morning. Returned in the evening. When I was walking back I felt the city approaching, it was full of the mood of chasing goals, it looked like a buzzing beehive. I walk down the street. I watch people. They seem to be in a fog of their thoughts. They run around, their eyes look somewhere inside - “they are deciding something, conducting some kind of internal dialogue.” There are practically no eyes present at the moment. Only the eyes of children on the playground in the park glow with joy at the possibilities the current moment opens up.
I myself have a feeling of calm inside, as if I was driving down the street in a tank. My inner space is filled with silence. I take a step, and another, and another. No thoughts. I watch a buzzing, running city float by around me, but this city is no longer in me. During the day of silence, he left me.
Pepper ceremony.
Completely similar to standing on nails, only the pain here is experienced through the taste buds, through the mouth :). The brain will also fuss, for it a burning sensation in the mouth is an indicator of the approach of death. The death of the body, a little more and we will die. Therefore, a hurricane of thoughts arises in my head. Accept it, let it pass, try to relax. It helps. If, on the contrary, you begin to resist, then the process will be more unpleasant.
There is no physical danger to the oral cavity or intestines. The body can withstand much more load. But there are benefits in the form of a shake-up for the taste buds and digestive system. Shake-reboot. Just as a short dip in an ice hole is beneficial for the body, so the fiery pepper practice is beneficial for the inner space.
After picking the peppers with your hands, do not touch them in the eyes. If you poke it in the eye, it will burn. There is nothing scary about this. You will experience the process through your eyes. Nothing can stop the burning. Accept it, let it pass, try to relax.
The first time it is better to participate with a pepper master. Ask him to explain to you: what to expect, what to do, how to eat the pepper itself, what not to do. Peppers with a high level of spiciness are suitable for the ceremony; any peppers will not be suitable. When you understand how it works, then you can practice it yourself. Treat your friends ;).
As the burning goes away, calmness sets in, the internal dialogue subsides, and a feeling of presence takes over. Whether it’s worth moving to heaven through hell is up to you to decide :). Think, try. If you have already experienced this, then share your feelings in the comments on the page below. The Pepper Ceremony is the practice of moving through pain.
- Execution in a team: fun to watch the participants :).
- With a leader: the first time is definitely with a master.
- Duration: from 30 minutes.
- Full instructions for participation/conduct. You can buy it on VKontakte.
