Most of us have a tendency to double check things like locking our car door, etc to ensure safety. However if your urges develop into an obsession and interfere with your personal life and disturb you a lot, you might be suffering from OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Here are some tips on how you can deal with a patient suffering OCD.
Challenge obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors
Your will power to overcome this problem is a prerequisite in dealing with OCD. There are many ways you can help yourself in controlling your thoughts. Diverting your attention to some other activity is the best thing to do when you have an urge to re do things again and again.
a. Try to play some out door games, exercise, Write and read stuff, browse the internet, listen to some good music, talk to people on phone. Do what ever it takes to divert your attention. Studies proved that it takes at least 15 minutes to divert your thoughts and make yourself comfortable. So take up an activity you enjoy so that it involves you for a period not less than 15 minutes.
b. Try to delay your urges to the maximum possible extent which will surely reduce the intensity of your urges. Check yourself after you try to take up an activity and assess how you feel after you had completed the activity.
c. Maintain a log of your OCD urges or record it on a tape and listen to it in such a way that it doesn’t cause distress or restlessness.
d. Create an OCD window period where in you can anticipate your OCD urges that occur over a period of time.
Take care of yourself
A strict routine will always help you to control your urges as you barely have time to think about matters beyond your schedule. Practice yoga, meditation and other relaxation techniques that proved to be very helpful in dealing with these type of cases. Having a good diet is very much essential. Going on a diet may sometimes lead to low blood sugar which in turn increases your anxiety. Have a good breakfast followed by frequent meals through out the day in small quantities. This will keep you rejuvenated. Take high protein foods, vegetables, fruits.
Exercise regularly, at least 5 times in a week for a period not less than 30 minutes. This will keep you mentally, emotionally and physically fit. Aerobics relieve tension and anxiety. Try it!
Get enough sleep. If you have sleeping disorders make sure some one attends to that problem and treat it. Having a good sleep will ensure good mental health. Avoid nicotine and alcohol as they trigger anxiety and emotions in long run even though they relieve tension for time being.
Reach out for support
If you feel powerless and lonely, OCD will take a toll on you. Develop social relations and family relations. Take the support of people to cope with your problem. A strong support system is very important when you are suffering with OCD. Join an OCD support community and talk to people with same problem. This social interaction will help you to understand and analyze your situation.
Stay in touch with your friends and cousins who care for you and show respect to you. This will give you some emotional support.
If you are having troubles with this, try to enlighten yourself about this disorder and learn how people deal with the problem through various discussion forums on the net.
Therapy as treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
Cognitive behavioral therapy is often considered as the best therapy to treat this mental illness. It involves two components.
- Exposure and response prevention: In this the patient is exposed to the source of his disturbance over and over and asked to refrain from his urges This will reduce your tension and the intensity of that urges. This will also help you to completely eradicate those compulsive urges. All you need to do is show your willingness to get treated.
- Cognitive therapy focuses on the dangerous thoughts and over inflated sense of responsibility you feel. This therapy will help you to control those catastrophic thoughts.
Four point formula for Conquering Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Relabel: You have to recognize that the irrational urges you have is just because of OCD. Train your self to stay away from the activity that is bothering you without a reason.
- Re attribute: Constantly remind yourself that the urges you have is because of the chemical imbalance inside your head. It has nothing to do with you. It is OCD that is driving you to think irrationally.
- Re focus: Divert your attention to an activity where you cannot feel the urge to do the job that bothers you.
- Re value: Do not pay attention to that Disorder you have. Rather stay confident and move forward with your therapy and above mentioned tips
