Understanding what OCD really is
OCD Explained Beyond Conventional Theory
OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It is characterised by sufferers getting unwanted thoughts (obsessions), which cause anxiety. Sufferers then try to figure out ways (compulsions) to stop the anxiety
Conventional theory suggests that OCD is purely a mental illness, meaning that the thoughts are the product of a malfunctioning mind. I argue that the mind is not malfunctioning, instead something else is malfunctioning, which is causing the mind to generate the irrational thoughts
So basically, OCD is a symptom of an underlying issue, and if we really want to rid ourselves of OCD we need to fix this underlying issue
Conventional therapy completely ignores this underlying issue, and instead focuses on trying to stop the current OCD thought(s) and their associated anxieties. While this can help considerably in the the short run, it doesn't work in the long run. This is because OCD is a symptom of something else
Therefore, even if it looks like your OCD is gone, it will always make a comeback in the future, unless you fix the underlying issue. This was never explained to me by the many therapists I saw. Nor in the books or websites that dealt with recovery
Therefore this website is my attempt to cover this gap
This website explains:
What OCD really is
Which part of us the OCD thoughts come from
How to reduce your OCD anxiety in the short run
How to stop OCD anxiety permanently in the long run
It also provides an answer to a question that OCD sufferers find very confusing i.e. why they get anxious even though they know the thoughts are irrational
The three most important sections in the whole website are the sections on the brain, the conscious mind and subconscious mind. I recommend reading all three sections in one sitting, as they build on each other. After reading these sections you will understand what OCD really is.
The model I present in the above-mentioned three sections not only works for OCD, but also for other anxiety disorders (e.g. panic disorder, social anxiety disorder), and possibly depression as well. Although in this website I will concentrate exclusively on OCD
Once you know what OCD is, you will then want to know how to treat it. The most common type of therapy for OCD in the UK is 'Cognitive Behavioural Therapy' (CBT). In the section on CBT, I explain how it attempts to 'fix' your OCD, and why it only works in the short run
The section on psychoanalysis explains what the permanent fix for OCD is. You can go to this section straight away if you like, but if your anxiety is severe, you won't be able to implement what it suggests. Therefore, you first need to reduce your anxiety in the short-run to more reasonable levels, which can be done by reading the section on CBT
Before we move onto the next section, I just wanted to mention that I have an email address, in case you have questions on anything:
info@ocdexplained.com
Now, let's go the next section, which is about the brain - click on the below button