Obsessive Thinking (OCD)
Obsessive thinking or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) shares many common themes found in other behavioural problems, where the person compulsively focuses on their problematic patterns of behaviour. As I have already mentioned, I am not a great fan of labelling client conditions, as such labels are inevitably generalisations. Frequently, clients begin to self-diagnose themselves and may imagine that they have a far more extreme problem than perhaps they actually have. NLP, Hypnosis and Provocative Therapy are all excellent non-analytical approaches for changing these unhelpful patterns of behaviour, and many clients have been surprised at how effective these accelerated approaches can be in treating what they refer to as obsessive thinking.
Some people tend to keep checking their actions, and this can be similar to a very mild form of OCD, but this is very different to more extreme forms of OCD when the checking tendencies have become totally out of control, causing all manner of problems for the individual, and in many instances their family and friends around them. This is another example of a problem where the person finds themselves in an “emotional loop” with no possibility of resolution. This combination of NLP, Hypnosis and Provocative Therapy is excellent at changing unhelpful patterns of behaviour, so instead of analysing the problem, we explore new, more helpful patterns that create tangible, productive choices for the client.
In 2009, I was interviewed by BBC Radio specifically on this subject, and it’s amazing how many misconceptions there are about it. It’s useful to remember that a person is not born with obsessive thinking; it’s a “learned behaviour” that develops over time. When the problem started is not the central issue; rather, it is how to begin thinking and feeling differently to create a different overall experience. In a session, I will typically explore how the client has created and reinforced these patterns, and then begin to explore how they can change the old behaviour. The good news is that, because this, like much other behaviour, is a learned response, it can often be changed in a relatively short period of time. The number of sessions required to help someone varies depending on the person and the severity of their condition. From my own experience, I typically see improvements in the majority of cases within 2 – 3 sessions, provided the client follows my advice to listen back to each session on CD between appointments.