Managing OCD
Right now, it might feel like you’ll never get a grip on it.
Do you hate the uncertainty?
Kevin* did… especially when he went upstairs. He couldn’t help but wonder, “Did I turn off the oven? What if I left it on and something happens to the house?”
So, he went back downstairs and checked… and went back upstairs. And, you guessed it, the uncertainty came right back. It didn’t matter how many times he checked. It was never enough!
Are you tired of asking, “What if?”?
Barbara* often said to herself, “If I had a penny for every time that question came into my mind, I’d be the richest person on earth.”
“What if this… what if that… what if the other thing….”
The endless barrage of thoughts feels like a bully always with you. It’s almost as though you’re being yelled at (sometimes quite aggressively) from inside your head!
Do you want to get rid of that constant feeling of dread?
The consequences in your mind are serious – you worry about affecting other people, affecting their lives, even affecting the world. These are tiny, insignificant fears – but no one seems to understand – it feels like the balance of life and death is on your shoulders.
This is precisely why you are paralyzed, and dread grips your chest and mind all day long. Every little action you do seems tied to consequences that are too hard to ignore – both to people you love and even people around the world. How will you ever break from these chains?
The fears are all too real…
These fears have become like real people in your life – bullies that you know you will face as the day continues.
There is a sadness to know that there may not be a way around them. Hopelessness can grip your mind at times because you really have tried “Everything” – despite others not believing you or downright thinking that you’re exaggerating or making things up.
Life feels like an invisible minefield where you are side-stepping so many things.
The time consumed by such fears is enormous. Somehow you manage things like work and relationships. But it feels like the hourglass is running out, and you can’t balance doing so many things and managing these fears.
Samantha* couldn’t even enjoy her new house because, at all times, the thoughts like, “Have I turned off the oven?” “What if I didn’t lock the door?” plagued her. And the worries seemed small initially but then led to consequences in her mind of a destroyed home, lost family, hurt children, all resulting from what may have been her “irresponsibility.” The irony was that having these fears ALSO prevented her from enjoying her new beautiful home.
Here, you’ll get the “gold standard” of OCD treatment.
OCD is not just a diagnosis.
“I went to another therapist for over a year, and he had no idea how to help me.”
I have heard that countless times. Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy or Ex/Rp was specifically formulated to help those with OCD. It is the most studied and effective therapy for OCD.
It consists of three basic parts: the OCD journal, the OCD list of Fears, and Exposures to Fears and Obsessions.
Essentially, different types of therapies were tested on people with OCD. They simply weren’t found to be effective because they never really challenged the person in a concrete way to overcome their fears.
In any major program or institute, it’s simply the therapy of choice.
This is what it looks like…
I first had Samantha detail all her different obsessions and compulsions over several days – after about seven days, she came to me with her journal, and then we organized them into a list. I had her give each fear a rank – and we then began tackling the easiest fear that she was willing to work with.
Then we took some time to write out a story of the consequences of not doing her rituals and what her deepest fears were. It turned out she was afraid of being a terrible and irresponsible person. I told her to put no filter and to make this as challenging a story as she could make.
In her exposure, she became that terrible/irresponsible person – she embraced it. She stopped running away from that possible reality. She embraced it with all of the consequences that follow – a broken home – broken marriage – she held nothing back. She needed to face her deep fear.
The longer she sat with that possible truth… maybe I am a terrible person…, the less it hurt, and the more she realized that it wasn’t so much to be afraid of. She let go of the hold it had had for so many years. One by one – we conquered all of her fears…now… whereas she was doing 4-6 hours of compulsions a day… she is down to below one hour… and getting better every day.
You’re probably not going to conquer all your fears the first time out, but if you keep at it, you’ll get to where those thoughts no longer have a HOLD on you. You’ll be free!
As an OCD Therapist in Tomball, I am ready to help.
Aren’t you ready to conquer your OCD?
“I can’t do this.”
“This is just too difficult.”
“It’s too impossible.”
“I’m being asked to embrace the pain that is unreasonable to face.”
You’re right. I am.
But consider the irony of what will happen if you don’t. If you don’t face your deepest fears, they will come to control your life and your time, and your relationships. People have lost their job and faced great stress as spouses and parents. They have lost almost everything by not wanting to face their fears head-on.
The dangerous thing is NOT FACING YOUR FEARS.
The average person with OCD… because of fear… waits seven years to get treatment… DON’T LET THAT BE YOU!
Get help and freedom today. Contact me ASAP, and let’s get on the road to a better life: (713) 396-2742.
*Names changed to preserve client confidentiality.