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OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder requires a life of balance and a slow move back to control

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OCD, Obsessive and Eating disorders begin as an addiction like response to a life where needs are not being met and in all likelihood also, there is trauma and extreme anxieties that cannot be controlled. As the obsession takes over, anxieties increase and are not diminished. How can they be as the obsessive behaviour – be it checking, cleaning, repeating – adds to the burdens of living a life of balance? At the extreme, a void is created and panic sets in. This of course exacerbates the OCD or eating disorder – which can then be difficult to shift.



Feelbetter Counselling - Treating Obsessive behaviours


One or more of the following is required :

  • Accessing the Observing Self – to be separate from the OCD, to see it for what it is and at low arousal.
  • Trance work to break the fear of letting the obsessive behaviour go - to face it down in trance and at low arousal levels.
  • There may also be strong trauma needing Rewind.
  • Relaxation and problem solving to get needs met.
  • Cognitive work that challenges the thoughts – though this can only be accomplished when arousal levels have been reduced.

My experience is that OCD can be well entrenched and that the sufferers have strong minds that can take some shifting. For this reason, they should not be rushed into giving up the obsessive behaviour. And like dipping your toe in the water, you only really properly swim when you are absolutely happy to. And at any time you can come back to the shore.

Tools to master your Addiction

    Read Eva’s below - in her own words. For Eva, terrifying thoughts were a response both to high stress and a recent traumatic experience. Being a very capable and resourceful woman, the obsessive thoughts had also induced a strong depression. Eva took time to completely recover from the OCD (though the depression was quick) – and she saw me for two distinct therapeutic periods, over nearly a year.

Eva's Story

    I met Andrew when I needed his help the most. My opinion is that you meet people in life for a reason and my reason to meet Andrew was to help me recover from depression and OCD and to change the way I saw life and the future. This man gave me answers to my questions, taught me to stop looking for the wrong answers, encouraged me, answered my calls at any time of the day or night (while going thru the panic attacks), made me feel that I was good in what I was doing and made me feel important! He also made me feel that I was not alone!

    Andrew kept on teaching me that the times I was feeling bad was because of the stresses in my life. And only later did I realise that he was right – that the small daily stress from running around all day with a 1 year old child and work, and no time to relax, that was what was affecting my state. I had started to think that all the thoughts I was having were not my thoughts but my imagination and that was the why I was reacting to stress as a way of harming myself (by imagining horrible things). I understood that I was reacting to what I was imagining by panicking and getting depressed but the case is that any normal person would do that if they were to imagine the worst!

    So with Andrew’s help I started to stop fearing what I was imagining, slowly and gradually. I learnt that all is working if you are willing to listen to what your stress is saying to you (and when I say listen I mean really listen). You are the most important piece from the recovering puzzle. By seeing Andrew, I learnt to make time to relax and how to relax. Andrew helped me to find my interior balance, and made me understand that I MUST HAVE MY NEEDS MET! I started to see life in a different way and to search for my passions. He gave me lots of explanations to what I was going through so I felt that I had someone that understands me and that I was not going mad.



The Addictions forum is your space to share what you have found or know to be true or what you still need.
There is as much space as you need - write a webpage, invite comments. Say what you think!



Go to Addictions from OCD

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Go to Compulsions

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    East London, on the Central Line, around 30 minutes from the City
    94 Malford Grove, South Woodford, London E18 2DQ
    for Woodford, Wanstead, Leytonstone, Leyton, Walthamstow, Chingford, Highams Park, Hackney, Forest Gate, Stratford and Bethnal Green.
    Also Chigwell. Epping, Buckhurst Hill, Ilford, Barkingside and Loughton, Edmonton, Enfield, Ponders End

    Landline: 020 8257 0429, Mobile/text: 07870 104651, Skype name: famrichhg


 

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Addiction Self help: Long term self help workbook and maintenance guide Visit the site here

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Case study: Simon

    Simon worked in a big law firm for many years– under real pressure but earning a lot of money. His problem was crack cocaine – which was now impacting on his work. He sometimes went missing from the office for days and when he returned he was hardly fit. His colleagues were covering for him but would not do so for much longer.

    The first thing needed was to confront other problems in Simon’s life – trauma from his childhood and the nature of his marriage. When this had been put on a firmer footing, we worked together over 2/3 months to change the habitual triggers that led to the benders and also to build up his self confidence.

    Control came slowly and it was a number of months before Simon was happy to stop the habit completely

Case study: Brian

    Brian had been drinking more and more as a means to suppress his anxiety – but he was suffering black outs after his binges when he could remember nothing. This terrified him. The source of the problem was trauma from a very bad accident – which had then put a stop to a cherished ambition to study.

    What was needed was not only the de-traumatising of the experience but to help Brian to get his life back on track – a career path that would satisfy him and a better relationship with his long suffering girlfriend.

Case study: Ursula

    Ursula was in her late twenties and over the past few years had found that most of her socialising on a Friday and Saturday entirely revolving around coke and alcohol. She was sick of it but found that she could not stop.

    The first task was to get Ursula’s life working better. She needed to leave home and maybe even change jobs. She was a travel agent. She also needed to spend time with other friends who were not into this coke culture.

    And when she was ready to stop, it was quite easy. The patterns of her weekends could be changed and her focus became increasingly balanced and healthy.

Case study: Evelyn

    Evelyn’s life was working well. She was married and had a small child but found that her long standing cannabis habit was still with her. A lot of it was associated with sex with her husband.

    We had one long session of therapy and that was all that was needed. I explained to Evelyn exactly what the psychological basis of her habit was and this relieved her. We then looked at the triggers that ended with the cannabis consumption – and found ways to shift and rehearse new triggers in trance.





The first session will only be charged if you found that it helped and/or you decide to continue with me.

Over 85% of my clients feel better at the end of their treatment - normally around 4 sessions. This is a high number and should give you confidence. I am pretty well unique as a private therapist - to maintain such records.

A wonderful discovery, psychoanalysis. Makes quite simple people feel they're complex
S.N. Behrman