Stress Relief Techniques For OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)OCD stands for obsessive compulsive disorder. There are millions of people who suffer with OCD. Some have relatively mild symptoms, while others have a hard time functioning in a daily routine. People with OCD typically have two categories of symptoms. One symptom is obsessive thoughts. For instance, a person may become obsessed with the idea that his or her child will die, or that a burglar might break into the house. The second symptom is compulsive behaviors, usually related to the obsessive thoughts. For instance, someone who worries that his or her child will die might check on the child ten, fifteen, or even fifty times a night. A common compulsive behavior is with cleanliness. People who suffer from this form of OCD may feel that they must wash their hands sometimes hundreds of times daily. OCD Stress Relief Techniques: Finding a Supportive Therapist Treating OCD is not a do-it-yourself proposition. The first step is finding a therapist experienced in treating OCD. Make sure that the therapist is someone you trust and feel comfortable talking to. Even though some of the thoughts or behaviors you have may feel embarrassing, it's important that you are honest with your therapist. It may be helpful to get a recommendation from your family doctor or a trusted counselor or friend. OCD Stress Relief Techniques: Learning Deep Relaxation The next step in OCD stress relief techniques is learning deep relaxation. There are several techniques available. One relaxation technique is called guided imagery. With the help of your therapist or on your own, imagine the most relaxing place you can. Maybe it's a warm beach or a cozy cottage with snow drifting past the windows. Wherever it is, imagine yourself there; feel the sand between your toes and the wind blowing in your hair. Feel your muscles relax completely as you enjoy your surroundings. Another popular relaxation technique is progressive relaxation. Starting with your feet, tighten you muscles hold them for five seconds, and then allow them to relax completely. Do the same with each muscle group in your body until you are completely relaxed. OCD Stress Relief Techniques: Systematic Desensitization Once you have learned how to relax, you can move on to the next step in OCD stress relief techniques. This step involves gradually facing your fears while continuing to remain relaxed. For instance, say one of your compulsive behaviors is frequent hand washing. With your therapist's support, you might avoid hand washing for, say, half an hour while you practice relaxation techniques. After a few weeks, as you become more comfortable, you might increase the time without hand washing to 45 minutes, then an hour, and so forth. OCD Stress Relief Techniques: Thought Challenging and Thought Saturation In addition to systematic desensitization, people with OCD may benefit from some cognitive therapy techniques such as challenging irrational thoughts. ("There is no reason on earth why my child should suddenly die") or thought saturation. Thought saturation is when the therapist actually encourages the client to focus on and think about a disturbing idea. Imagine exactly what it would feel like to walk into the room and find your child dead. Picture it in your mind over and over. After awhile, the idea will begin to lose its power, just as your own name will lose its meaning if you say it over and over. OCD Stress Relief Techniques: Medication If your OCD does not seem to respond to therapy alone, you and your therapist may want to discuss the possibility of medication. You may find that a low dose of an anti-anxiety medication or an anti-depressant helps calm your symptoms and makes working with your therapist easier. So as you can see, OCD can be treated and helped with various and different stress relief techniques. Some techniques for stress relief may involve medication, but others can be natural forms of stress relief. You may have to learn or retrain your mind to think in a different way to help relieve your stress symptoms. You should always work with a professional when dealing with OCD and trying to achieve stress relief. |