Obsessive Behavior: 10 Ways To Cope With OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness characterized by a series of fears that become obsessions. These obsessions can cause a person to repeatedly perform certain actions or compulsions. Some of the more well-known compulsions include locking doors multiple times, washing hands excessively, and repeating words or noises a certain number of times.
Typically, a person with OCD feels a deep need to perform their compulsions to relieve anxiety caused by intrusive thoughts. If they try to resist them, they can become anxious, irritable, or even angry. Despite the challenges of OCD, there are ways to treat OCD and learn how to keep intrusive thoughts from interfering with your happiness and well-being.
Below are 10 strategies that may help you cope with OCD more effectively:
Do your research
Perhaps the first step to helping yourself is to understand your symptoms. Consider doing some research to find out everything you can about your condition.
If you don't understand OCD, you may end up trying treatments that are ineffective or even harmful. For example, some may try to ignore their symptoms as a way to forget their obsessions. However, this is not typically a viable solution.
Take a break
If you feel overwhelmed by obsessive behaviors, you may want to take a break. When you are experiencing these compulsions, the anxiety and distress you feel can be overwhelming. You might focus on your breathing and pay attention to the tenseness in your shoulders and throughout your body. As you breathe, you may feel your body start to relax.
Another thing you can do is take a simple walk (or run) in the park or at the gym. Exercising releases endorphins—happy chemicals that tend to relax your mind and body.
Even though taking a break may not eliminate your obsessive thoughts, it may make their presence less stressful.
Practice self-care
Self-care can consist of simple strategies tailored to your needs. Consider setting aside time to pay attention to yourself and your needs or wants. You can take this time to do activities that make you feel relaxed. Some people choose to listen to soft music or take a bubble bath. Others prefer to practice medication or engage in other restful activities.
Another benefit of self-care is that it may give you some control over how you feel. While it may not directly address your OCD symptoms, it can revitalize your mind and equip you to not act on urges that arise.
Don’t suppress your thoughts
At first, this could prove to be difficult. You might feel an overwhelming urge that seems to get worse the longer you fight it. As time goes on, though, it may get easier. You might notice your urge start to fade, and eventually, you may not have the urge at all.
If you are experiencing multiple obsessions, you might want to try to focus on one at a time. Taking on all (or many) at once can sometimes be overwhelming. Consider setting realistic goals and starting small. This may help you resist the urge to fall into perfectionism.
Keep your support system close
Your support system may be one of your best tools to manage compulsive behavior. This can include friends, family, a mentor, and a licensed counselor or therapist.
It may be especially helpful to include people that you can call or text when you feel an obsession arise. They can encourage you and possibly help distract you from things that trigger your thoughts.
You might also consider enlisting the help of a licensed mental health professional. There are therapists who can give you homework assignments and other tips to help you manage your OCD.
Avoid drugs and alcohol
For many trying to manage their obsessive behavior on their own, it may be tempting to turn to drugs or alcohol.
While these substances may provide temporary relief, many of the health risks associated with drug and alcohol use can be as difficult or worse than OCD. Further, the effects of drugs and alcohol may make your condition worse in the long run.
Use technology to your advantage
Technology can be a helpful tool in your journey to manage your OCD. Perhaps you have an obsession with making sure the oven is turned off or the door is locked. If this is the case, you might consider installing a camera facing the areas you find yourself checking multiple times. This might serve as a way to avoid going home to check again.
However, it may be important to limit the number of times you check so that you don’t develop a new obsession with checking the camera.
Don't engage intrusive thoughts
Intrusive thoughts are unwelcome, irrational thoughts that come on suddenly. They can range from mild to extremely disturbing.
When you think of an intrusive thought, it may help to acknowledge it without giving it power. You may want to remind yourself that intrusive thoughts are a part of your condition but are not indicative of who you are as a person.
Celebrate yourself
Consider celebrating your small victories. This may give you the strength and perseverance to keep pushing forward, especially when it gets tough.
When you reach a milestone, no matter how big or small, consider making it a point to reward yourself. This can be something simple like treating yourself to your favorite meal, or you can do something more lavish such as going out to a nice dinner with friends or throwing a party.
You may also want to continue reminding yourself that you are undergoing treatment and that it's sometimes going to be tough. Still, if you celebrate yourself, the happiness and joy that you feel after you accomplish something significant could give you enough energy to keep pushing forward.
Be patient
As you work toward coping with OCD, it may help to be patient with yourself and grant yourself grace where needed. Recovery typically doesn’t happen overnight. There may be many slips and falls on your journey. This may frustrate you, and you might think more than once about giving up on treatment. You might experience less anxiety if you are patient with yourself just as you would be with a friend experiencing the same thing.
Getting help with OCD
If you’re experiencing challenges with OCD, it may help to speak with a licensed therapist. If your symptoms make it difficult to leave home for therapy, you might consider online therapy, which research has demonstrated to be just as effective as in-person therapy. One study published in the journal Cureus found that internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) was effective for OCD, anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder.
With online therapy, you can communicate with a therapist in a way that’s most comfortable for you—by audio, video, live chat, or a combination of these methods. Also, BetterHelp allows you to message your therapist at any time through in-app messaging, and they’ll respond as soon as they can. This may prove to be helpful if you experience urges in between sessions and want to write them down in the moment.
Below are some reviews of BetterHelp therapists from people experiencing intrusive thoughts.
“Melanie is such a thoughtful and caring counselor. She has really helped me in dealing with my OCD and provided me with a lot of support through the conversations we have had as well as providing me with helpful coping mechanisms. Melanie is very non-judgmental and is really willing to help you deal with any anxieties you are having while ensuring that you stay on the right track.”
“Laura has been a lifesaver, literally. Without her, I would have drowned in my compulsive, obsessive, irrational thoughts. Thank you for saving me from me and making me feel worthy, safe and valid. You are an angel Laura!”
Takeaway
How do you cope with OCD?
If you’ve received a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) from a mental health professional, they’ve likely developed a treatment plan tailored to your individual needs. Part of that plan may include managing OCD with coping strategies outside of therapy sessions in your everyday life.
While you should always consult your therapist about effective ways to participate in your treatment process, here are some helpful things to consider for coping with OCD:
- Engage in psychoeducation about OCD with online resources or through resources provided by your therapist. You may research other people’s experiences with the disorder as part of this educational journey.
- Take time out to do things you enjoy. Whether it’s a quiet evening with a good book or dinner and a movie with friends—caring for your happiness can go a long way towards cubing compulsive behavior and learning to cope.
- Practice self-care by getting plenty of rest, eating a balanced diet, and engaging in regular physical activity. Avoid using nicotine, drugs, and alcohol.
- Keep a daily OCD journal containing your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Not only will this help increase your awareness of how, when, where, and why compulsive thoughts and behaviors arise— it’ll also help you recognize when you’re making progress.
- Consider taking up a mindfulness practice such as yoga or meditation. Even a few minutes engaged in a relaxation technique like paying attention to the breath can be incredibly beneficial to help mitigate OCD obsession and behaviors.
- Acknowledge anxious thoughts. Part of mindfulness is learning to recognize when obsessive thoughts arise and try to understand them better. Do they manifest somewhere in the body? How do they affect your ability to concentrate? Do they occur in specific circumstances, or do they seem to be random?
- Lean on your support system when you’re feeling distressed. If you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to your friends, family, therapist, or another trusted person who knows about your journey toward healing.
- Be patient, work at your own pace, and celebrate your successes. Milestones in your treatment are significant— it’s essential to acknowledge and celebrate them. This isn’t just to motivate you to keep going but also to remind you that you can succeed.
What is the best way to overcome OCD?
Psychotherapeutic techniques like exposure and response prevention (ERP) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are considered the gold standard for treating OCD. Some treatment plans also include medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to help manage symptoms. Regardless of your treatment plan, attending regular therapy sessions and engaging actively in the process is vital for success.
How do I stop OCD compulsions?
In addition to psychotherapy and medication, there are day-to-day techniques you may use for resisting compulsions and managing your OCD:
- Choose a distraction such as listening to music, calling a friend, or going for a walk. This may divert your attention away from obsessive thoughts and neutralize their intensity.
- In some instances, distraction is counterproductive, and taking a moment to examine your unwanted thoughts may be more beneficial. Facing your obsessions and putting them into perspective may help you realize that you don’t need to engage— giving you better control over OCD behaviors.
- If you still feel there will be “consequences” if you ignore your compulsive urges, plan a specific time in the future to engage with them. Committing to postponing them diminishes the sense of urgency and distressing feelings, making it easier to understand that nothing will happen if you eliminate them.
- Change the details of your ritualized behavior. For example, if you need to count how many times you turn the lights off and on, count backward and intermittently reduce the number every time you engage. Work towards reducing the number every time you engage in the behavior until you no longer feel the need to do it. This may take time, but with patience, it is possible.
What triggers OCD?
An exact cause for OCD hasn’t yet been established, but experts do believe it’s likely caused by a combination of factors, including genetics, environment, and neurological abnormalities. Existing mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, depressive and other mood disorders, phobias, and neurodevelopmental disorders may play a role in the etiology of OCD as well.
What makes OCD worse?
What worsens OCD typically depends on the individual and their specific experience. For example:
- Comorbid conditions like severe anxiety can trigger intrusive thoughts and panic attacks.
- Stressful circumstances like financial struggles, job loss, relationship conflicts, and workplace strife.
- Traumatic events like the death of a loved one, experiencing violence, and severe injury.
- Even pleasant life changes like getting married or starting a new job can trigger an OCD episode.
- Seeking temporary reassurance from those around you by asking questions like “Are you sure people don’t think I’m a bad person?” or “Will you check the oven before we leave, too?”
- Avoiding situations, objects, or people that may trigger OCD behaviors.
Can I overcome OCD by myself?
Some people may learn to cope with OCD alone, but most people require therapeutic intervention. If you think you may have OCD, reach out to a mental health professional for assistance.
Can OCD go away on its own?
OCD is a chronic condition for which there is no known cure. It does not go away on its own—but it is highly manageable with treatment and support.
Is OCD a form of anxiety?
Though it used to be categorized as a type of anxiety disorder, the newest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders (DSM-V-TR) lists OCD under its own chapter along with related disorders with similar symptoms, such as obsessive preoccupation and repetitive behaviors.
How can you tell if someone has OCD?
OCD behaviors manifest in different ways, but they typically have three main features:
- Obsessive, unwanted thoughts. For example, someone obsessed with sickness may be constantly worried about the different ways they might contract an illness.
- Intense emotions resulting from the obsession. People with the above type of obsession may feel an overwhelming fear of contamination for themselves and their loved ones.
- Compulsive, repetitive mental or physical behaviors are driven by the anxiety and distress caused by the obsession. To continue the above example, someone with an overwhelming fear of sickness may excessively wash their hands or clean their home several times daily.
Is overthinking OCD or anxiety?
Overthinking is a common symptom of OCD and anxiety. Typically, this type of overthinking is unwanted and distressing. People with OCD tend to develop undesirable behaviors as a result of these types of thoughts, while those with anxiety don’t always act on them.
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