Obsessive Compulsive Cycle
I was completely swept along with my own compulsion.
The Obsessive Compulsive Cycle: Damn Unwanted Thoughts!
Since the relief it brings is of limited duration, the compulsion and obsession is a gesture that has to be repeated and thus becomes a habit. The cycle is as follows:
1. The doubt in which the obsession is rooted persists.
2. The threat of danger arises again in one’s mind.
3. The sense of discomfort recurs.
4. The compulsion has to be repeated to neutralize the danger.
About 1 in 50 people, that’s over 5 million Americans and 500,000 Canadians, have developed obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). Recent research shows that some children may even develop the illness as early as their preschool years… and that a full one-third of current adult OCD cases began in childhood. Some other researchers believe OCD may be hereditary.
What is a compulsion?
In obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD), the action that results directly from obsessive thinking is a compulsion, affected people to make specific gestures to suppress the anxious thinking/condition which is plaguing them.
The goal of a compulsion is to eliminate the threat posed by an obsession. Compulsive actions provide temporary relief from the distress, discomfort or disgust caused by an obsession. It can cause tremendous anxiety for those who have it.
Typical Obsessions
|
Typical Compulsions
|
| Fear of contamination by dirt, bacteria, disease, excrement, etc. |
Washing, taking many long showers, incessant cleaning |
| Fear of harming others as a result of carelessness (e.g., fear of causing an accident) |
Repetitive rituals, making sure that nothing terrible has happened |
| Excessive preoccupation with order and symmetry |
Arranging things in a precise order, placing or folding things in the same way |
| Fear of being afflicted by a serious disease such as cancer or AIDS |
Taking excessive measures to eliminate contact with contaminants |
| Perverted impulses, images or thoughts related to sexuality |
Invoking opposing images; reassuring oneself or asking for reassurance in a repetitive manner |
| Exaggerated concern about one or more body parts (e.g., fear that one’s nose is deformed or one’s skin is blemished) |
Spending hours in front of a mirror, putting on excessive amounts of makeup |
| Fear of being responsible for a terrible event |
Checking that doors are locked or that electronic devices are unplugged |
| Preoccupation with sacrilege, blasphemy or morality |
Prayer, performing mental rituals, using special numbers or words |
| Fear of throwing away an object that might be needed later |
Gathering and hoarding useless objects and papers |
You are constantly battling yourself. Just as you can’t run away from your hips, you can’t get rid of your thoughts. Thought control and thought suppression don’t work. Worse—they make you feel more hopeless. Try not to think of polar bears for the next thirty minutes. Oops. There’s another polar bear. It won’t work. Continue reading COMPULSION and OBSESSION DELIVERANCE →
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