13 March 2017
Have you ever felt that you were visited by strange and previously uncharacteristic thoughts or ideas? One way or another, every person on Earth could notice this behind him. However, if obsessive thoughts do not leave your mind, but only intensify when you try to get rid of them, then this can mean one thing - you have taken possession of an obsessive-compulsive disorder. It then manifests itself as a fear of "these" thoughts, which makes your whole life unbearable.
This can manifest as verminophobia (fear of germs). A person can wash his hands 50-60 times a day and not touch anything around him with his hands, fearing to get infected from pathogenic microbes.
American Psychiatric Association. Problems of obsessive illness. Behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorders: theory and manipulation. Chicago: Medical Publishers Yearbooks; R. 45. Obsessive-compulsive disorder: theory and management. Chicago: Medical Publishers Yearbooks.
Epidemiology, clinical features and genetics of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Understanding obsessive-compulsive disorder. Clinical features of obsessive-compulsive disorder: a study of 45 cases. Follow-up research in obsessive neurosis.
Another person suffering from OCD may develop peculiar rituals to alleviate their condition, without which a person can no longer do. And then a real neurosis develops.
This obsessive-compulsive disorder causes inexplicable anxiety, fears, obsessive thoughts, desires and actions that turn into certain repetitive rituals that somehow "facilitate" the person's condition.
Epidemiology and differential diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Cybernetic model of obsessive-compulsive psychopathology. Obsessions, responsibility and guilt: two case reports that point to a general and a specific etiology.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder with psychotic features: a phenomenological analysis. Phenomenology of obsessive-compulsive disorder: a transcultural study. Phenomenological questions about obsessions and delusions. Comorbidity of obsessive-compulsive disorder and personality disorder: a Brazilian controlled trial.
Why and who can develop obsessive-compulsive disorder?
As practice shows, the most demanding and self-critical people who make very high demands on themselves and others and adhere to clear moral principles and rules, at some point may be frightened of their own “bad” thoughts and will try to get rid of them by themselves. different ways. And this, in turn, will develop obsessive-compulsive disorder.All obsessive states and thoughts can be divided into 2 groups:
When mania becomes a problem
Maria Conceição de Rosario, Unifesp talks about the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of OCD in children. Many tend to listen to their favorite story before going to bed or say Good night their stuffed animals and dolls. Others have a craze for counting trees when they are driving or avoid stepping on the pavement while they are walking.
But when these typical childhood behaviors become very frequent and interfere with routine or cause distress, they can be symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. It was thought that the earlier the symptoms appeared, the worse the progression of the condition would be, but recent research suggests that it is not the age of onset that is the determining factor for poor prognosis, but the time the patient is left untreated.
actions-rituals. For example, obsessive washing of floors, hands, dishes, obsessive checks, “is the door open, is the gas turned off”, ritual obsessive actions in the form of touching certain parts of the body or other objects, etc.
intrusive thoughts. They may represent ideas or thoughts of horrendous cruelty, aggression, sexual perversion, "obscene language", etc.
The topic was addressed by Maria Conceição do Rosario, Professor of Psychiatry for Childhood and Adolescence in federal university Sao Paulo during the World Congress on Brain, Behavior and Emotions, which took place in Sao Paulo at the end of June. He then completed postgraduate studies at Yale University in the United States as a member of the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation and the Tourette Syndrome Association.
When is it no longer okay? These are periods of transition in life, and rituals help organize the routine and make the person less anxious. In the case of young children, rituals usually occur while eating, sleeping, or bathing. Some people may show obsessive-compulsive symptoms during these phases, but then they disappear. However, this may mean that there is a predisposition. These are periods of greater vulnerability and if a person experiences a traumatic or stressful situation during this stage, a disease can develop.
Is it possible to get rid of obsessive thoughts and states?
First, let's immediately define that obsessive-compulsive disorder is not a disease, but only a psychological disorder. In other words, obsessive thoughts and states are a developed bad habit, which manifests itself in "forced" actions and thoughts, which later become stereotyped and cause a kind of dependence, as, for example, with smoking.Already at the very first session with a psychologist, you will learn the basic principle of the operation of obsessive states and will be able to consciously break the connection between your consciousness and these obsessive actions and thoughts.
This differentiation is based on three factors: the time spent on obsessive rituals and thoughts, the interference they cause in their routine, and the trouble they cause. If the child starts being late for class, stops playing for fear of becoming dirty or because he thinks it will be a failure or he cannot sleep, if the mother does not tell the same story several times in the same way and is upset by the situation, it may be warning sign.
But when they are not very frequent and not very intense, obsessive-compulsive symptoms can be organizers and promoters. In some cases, for example, it can last as little as 40 minutes and cause serious trouble or greatly interfere with the routine. This already allows us to close the diagnosis. You should think about what times of the day they appear, if there is a trigger factor, and what happens when the person has these thoughts. Does she feel calmer doing the ritual or more anxious?
You will receive a whole set of special psychological techniques with which you can easily get rid of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The main method of work of a psychologist is cognitive-behavioral therapy. With its help, you will be able to fully understand the mechanism of obsession, which means that you will be completely freed from this “addiction”.
These parameters are often difficult to estimate. In case of doubt, parents should take the child for evaluation. It is important to emphasize that evaluation does not mean treating children. There are times when only the orientation and setup of the routine is already decided. On the other hand, delays in diagnosis and treatment can worsen disease progression.
But we find that it is not the age when the disease manifests that matters, but the time when the person is not cured. There are neuroimaging studies that show a change in neurotransmission after treatment, both with drugs and with behavioral therapy. One hypothesis is that the sooner neurotransmission in the brain is regularized, the less development will be compromised. The second hypothesis suggests that the longer baby passes with obsessive-compulsive symptoms without adequate treatment, the greater the risk of impaired schooling, sociability, self-esteem and how he relates to parents, to the world and to the same.
What should NOT be done in obsessive states?
DO NOT try not to think about your thoughts and actions, it will be simply IMPOSSIBLEDO NOT take any pills that friends or acquaintances have advised you so that you can calm down. You are not sick. It's just a disorder.
Do NOT blame yourself for your obsessive thoughts and actions. Almost every person has the same thoughts. The most important thing to understand is that what matters is how you feel about it and what meaning you attach to these thoughts.
The longer she goes through all these experiences, the harder it is to have a normal life. The third hypothesis for worse outcome in patients with early start is the occurrence of comorbidities. The longer it goes without treatment, the greater the patient's risk of developing related disorders such as depression, social phobia, generalized anxiety, chemical dependency, and others. This is one of the main factors in the worst response to treatment.
According to some studies, in adulthood, depression is most common, reaching up to 80% of patients. In the case of autism spectrum disorders, for example, usually before 3 years of age, the diagnosis should be closed. The disease can manifest itself in any age group. To try to reduce this heterogeneity and facilitate research and clinical care, we attempted to identify possible subgroups. This is a completely different picture from what appears only in adulthood. The evolution of the condition will depend on the type of symptoms, family profile, type of treatment the child has access to.
Don't be afraid that your "bad" obsessive thoughts will cause you to commit some illegal act. This will not happen, because between thoughts and actions there is always a system of conscious judgments and evaluations. And they, in turn, simply will not let you take actions against your will and beliefs.
Remember that obsessive-compulsive disorder is entirely dependent on your way of thinking. Therefore, the first thing you need to understand and accept is that liberation from obsessive thoughts and states is possible only when you understand that you can look at your problem from different parties, and not only from the side of slavery from their own obsessive states.
But if left untreated, it will certainly become a more serious picture. Another predictor of worse prognosis is the severity of symptoms once they appear. The more intense the onset of the condition, the worse the prognosis. But regardless of the etiology, the consequence is a functional change in the brain. Currently, the most accepted hypothesis is that changes in neurotransmission occur in the cortico-striatum-thalamic-cortical circuits. All research shows that these schemes are compromised in some way.
But this is not an injury, as in the case of a tumor or cyst. This is a change in function. stressful situations faced by the child are also risk factors. A traumatic situation can cause illness, but it doesn't have to be tragic. This may be, for example, simply a departure from a person with whom the child had a strong connection, such as a brother who got married. In adolescents and adults, there are several studies on drug use. And exposure to toxins such as lead, cigarettes and alcohol during pregnancy is a risk factor for any psychiatric condition.
How can you get rid of obsessive thoughts and actions without the help of a psychologist?
Here you will need not only the desire to free yourself from your obsessions, but also to make certain efforts and work on yourself daily. You already know that your obsessive thoughts and actions do not carry any danger. All danger is only in your mind. Therefore, trust yourself and know that you can get rid of your obsessions and compulsions with a little change in the way you think and act.Consciously intensify your obsessions and push them to the limit. For example, you definitely need to touch your knee 5 times and take a deep breath for you to feel relief. In this case, take specifically 15 touches to the knee and 5 deep breaths.
Several scales and assessment tools exist to monitor the presence and severity of symptoms. But they serve more to monitor your progress during treatment than to make a diagnosis. This, on the one hand, is good, but on the other hand, it can make diagnosis difficult. The child understands that his behavior is different, strange, he may be afraid to think that she is crazy, to fight with her, and not to play with her anymore. If the family doesn't know how to deal with the symptoms or sympathize, it can make evolution even worse.
But it is also not good to simply tell the family to stop doing what the patient is asking. This is a family follow up process. Part of the treatment is to help the family manage the patient's symptoms. Fighting or refusing punishment, beyond the fact that it doesn't help, will make the child less and less open. Doing whatever she wants is also bad. Because the picture is multifactorial, treatment must be multimodal. It should cover patients and all people such as family members, teachers.
The same applies to other actions and thoughts. The point here is that you do it consciously and that you yourself see the meaninglessness of all these actions and thoughts from which you suffer so much.
Try to be more often among people, show social initiative, participate in various discussions among your acquaintances, friends, work colleagues. Surround yourself with people who you are interested in and who are interested in you. In no case do not lock yourself in your room, this will only worsen your condition. Try to communicate more and more with other people. It is important.
The child spends most days at school, so talk to the school, teachers, and leaders. Strategies must be sought to ensure that this child is not bullied or isolated from the group. The psychoeducation required for treatment is to guide patients and their families to the symptoms and how best to manage them. With regard to psychotherapy, behavioral or cognitive-behavioral methods are more effective. How younger child the more important the presence of parents in the process of psychotherapy.
Try, as often as possible, to switch attention from yourself to other people or other objects. Just look at one of your relatives or friends and try to imagine how they feel now, what desires, emotions, thoughts they have.
This is a very powerful technique that not only allows you to get rid of obsessive thoughts, but also teaches you to better understand other people and interact with them.
Psychologist: As you know, there is a wide range of social norms; we must always consider culture, environment, historic moment, into which we insert, and from that moment we can align what is considered "normal" and acceptable for a given society and, therefore, for its individuals. On the one hand, by emphasizing what is or should be "normal" for the other, we insert our own values and often ignore the other's features that were different from our experiences.
So, of course, this other perceives and manifests some of these social signs differently. On the other hand, as already mentioned, there is a previous expectation of normality, of paths that must be assigned to a particular social niche. For example: despite modern changes in the structure of the family, there is still a hidden expectation of the concept of a happy family nucleus, children, etc. or the acceptance of homosexuality occurs more in the realm of ideas than in practice, since there are still many prejudices and manifestations of these ideas before the topic.
Well, now you know what you need to do to take the first steps towards complete freedom from obsessive thoughts and actions. Therefore, act right now.
Tags: Neurosis , Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ,
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Obsessive thoughts can, if not drive you crazy, then exhaust you mentally and physically.
A constant, never letting go thought (usually negative) can poison life and lead to depression.
A suffering person is rapidly losing energy, turning into a torn creature with a haunted look.
Such a disorder in the soul must be disposed of immediately.
How to get rid of obsessive thoughts: where do they come from?
Strange, but science still cannot exactly answer the question of where these very thoughts come from. Someone nods to the overload of the brain, someone - to the mysterious processes of the subconscious, and someone blames the unstable psyche for everything. It is possible to find confirmation of all these hypotheses, although this is unlikely to help get rid of obsessive thoughts.
Indeed, in modern society the human brain is so loaded with various kinds of information, it is forced to constantly solve such an abundance of multidirectional tasks that one can assume both overload and permanent stress. A night's rest cannot help, and sometimes exacerbates the problem with excessive imagination. So it turns out that the same negative statement is spinning in my head for days, weeks, months.
It is unlikely that it will be possible to calm down the naughty subconsciousness, which is out of tune with the logical arguments of the mind. To get through this deep level and take off negative program, need either help professional psychologist or purposeful and competent work above oneself. In any case, the depths of the psyche are involved, with which it is dangerous to joke.
However, to find the answer to the question of how to get rid of obsessive thoughts, you have to take a chance. Hand on heart: how many of us run to see a certified psychologist to complain about mental confusion and depression? Especially if we are talking about some intimate, personal, “shameful” experiences, about feelings of guilt, shame, hatred, pain? That's it. However, something (and quite effectively) can still be done independently.
How to get rid of intrusive thoughts with relaxation and breathing techniques
Happy are people who know how to shed negativity, relax the body, let go of all bad thoughts. To some, this ability is given by nature, someone studies Eastern practices purposefully. For everyone else, you can offer a set of pretty simple exercises which really help to get rid of obsessive thoughts.
Lie down, completely relax. In fact, the relaxation to which we are accustomed in Everyday life, not enough. It is necessary to achieve such a state that each muscle ceases to strain.
Take a deep breath through your nose, hold your breath for a while, slowly exhale the air through your mouth.
Concentrating on each muscle, starting with the facial ones, we inhale and exhale air according to the described scheme. For example, they imagined the muscles of the eyebrows, inhaled and exhaled, felt how the tension in the forehead area eased, and sank lower.
We consistently work on the muscles of the eyes, mouth, chin, neck, shoulder girdle, hands, fingers, etc.
Having completely relaxed, we begin to work with a negative experience: a thought, an image, fear. We represent the experience in the form of a vivid visual image and get rid of it by applying the known laws physical world. Roughly speaking, we destroy it as the imagination suggests (you can drown it in the sea, throw it off a cliff, tear it into small pieces, erase it with an eraser, in the end).
When the negative image is defeated, we imagine something good, that is, we visually replace the negative picture with a positive one. We admire the result, remember it and return to reality.
Some psychologists recommend doing the procedure for the destruction of negative thought forms and images not in the imagination, but in real life. For example, you can write an obsessive phrase or draw a painfully repetitive image on a piece of paper, and then destroy this record: burn it and dispel it, tear it up and throw it into the wind, flush (sorry) down the toilet, etc.
It must be realized that obsessive thoughts have a simple dual, that is, a dual nature: unconsciousness (or irrationality) and emotionality. If they haunt you, then the reason lies in the sphere of emotional experiences. It can be fear, a complex, a mental trauma. It is very difficult to get rid of emotions, especially if they are negative experiences. Logic, reason will not help.
If the fear has some real basis, for example, is associated with fear for one's health, it is quite simple to solve the problem. Go to the doctor, take tests, make sure that everything is fine, and note with pleasure that the obsessive hash is gone.
How to get rid of intrusive thoughts with physical activity, indifference and positive thought forms
Saves quite well from painful thoughts physical fatigue. Especially if they are associated with dissatisfaction with themselves, their appearance, actions. A kind of "punishment" fatigue allows you to switch. An organism engaged in a physically difficult task will simply not be able to continue to waste energy on meaningless experiences.
Housework, in the country, intensive training in the gym or swimming pool, dancing, figure skating, as well as parkour, rock climbing, etc. - here's what can help. Women can learn some culinary wisdom, men can do crafts and creativity.
Another option is to set yourself up for complete indifference to negative thoughts. They do not need to be driven, it is also pointless to fight them. But to accept, indifferently consider and put aside - you can. certainly the obsessive thoughts will immediately return and will do so regularly, but the good news is that the visits uninvited guests will happen less and less. The main thing is that you have enough patience and willpower to maintain complete indifference, indifference.
For the period of treatment, the brain should be occupied with something pleasant, inspiring. This will help to switch and reduce the degree of tension. Force yourself to dream, and in such a way that the object of dreams can be achieved. For example, imagine a long-awaited vacation by the sea: its constant, life-filled noise, the cries of birds, the rustle of sand or pebbles, the smell of salt water. In general, to get rid of obsessive thoughts, occupy your brain with some pleasant thing.
How to get rid of intrusive thoughts through analysis and prayer
Meditation and prayer is another great way to work out a negative program and get rid of it. Suffering is pernicious, destructive, and for this reason alone must be rejected as soon as possible. Even if you have reasons to be angry with yourself or someone else, try to ignore the specific problem, look at it from a different angle, remove the accusatory context.
There are many techniques that allow you to gradually replace a negative statement with a positive one. One of them is the affirmation technique. The point is to replace all negative thoughts, formulations, affirmations with positive ones. Completely remove the negative particle “not” and the word “no” from your consciousness, rephrase the thought so that it acquires a positive, affirmative context. For example: “I am young, beautiful, happy”, “I gain confidence and happiness every minute”, “My life is beautiful and calm”, “I love and am loved”, etc.
Constantly work with affirmations, and they will gradually become part of the subconscious. So you can get rid of intrusive thoughts.
Believers and even those who have a desire to work with sacred books can use healing power prayers. It's not even a matter of reading and living through every line of a prayer appeal to God or the saints. Scientists have found that when saying a prayer, special sound vibrations are created that harmonize the space. Regular reading of prayers or individual chapters Holy Scripture able to return peace of mind, get rid of obsessive thoughts, mental sorrow, suffering.
What else needs to be done
Analyze what is happening to you. Try to understand where negative experiences come from, and if the reasons are obvious, change your attitude towards them. For example, there is no point in eating yourself for what has already been done, or mourning over what has happened. Accept the past, because it is part of your life. The time has come to move forward, otherwise there is only one perspective - death, first spiritual, and then physical.
Learn to shift your attention from internal dialogue to the outer level, using relaxation or awareness, physical activity or creativity. As soon as an unpleasant voice begins to sound, immediately grab a rag, a meditation mat, a bicycle or a cookbook.
Avoid negative language. Make a house bet, come up with some kind of prize, and within a week (or a month, for example), completely rebuild your mind, simply fixing your attention on the use of negative formulations and replacing them with positive statements.
Never fight obsessive thoughts: it is useless. Neutralize them with indifference or switching to vigorous activity. Fill your mind with positive emotions, fill your brain with positive, drive away depressive states, apathy, skepticism.
After all, you didn't come into this world to leave with a sour expression on your face and tormented by intrusive thoughts. The world is amazing and beautiful, and you deserve to enjoy it every minute.
