Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

I have now retired but will continue to keep this web site live for  year as a resource in case it is helpful to people. 

Have you felt driven to perform certain acts over and over again, such as…

  • excessive or ritualized washing, cleaning or grooming
  • checking light switches, taps, stove, door locks or iron
  • counting; arranging, evening-up behaviours (making sure pencils are in a row, all sharpened)?
  • repeating routine actions (in/out of chair, going through doorway, saying the same thing several times over ) a certain number of times or until it feels just right?
  • Needing to repeat statements or to touch objects or people?

Then you may be suffering from OCD: uncontrollable unwanted repetitive thoughts (Obsession). These can compel you to then carry out ritualised behaviours (Compulsion). They may feel too strong to resist.

There are various approaches which can alleviate this unwanted behaviour. One of the most common is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, within Solution Focused Therapy to understand the feelings, challenge them and learn and implement new behaviours.

Often having investigated and explored the original causes the behaviours and thoughts no longer feel powerful.

 

Updated 5/6/19