How To Overcome OCD Checking

[TopicStarter]

OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be a chronic issue in people’s lives, and it is best to deal with it at an early stage. There are treatments, and you can visit a therapist if you feel it has become uncontrollable. 

But there are some measures that I will suggest adopting before going to the therapist. These might help in controlling those obsessive thoughts without seeking professional help. I know it can be a vicious cycle that occurs over and over again, and hence I have written down the following tips.

#1 Building trust in yourself: the first task at hand is to build more confidence in your actions and believing that you have done a task already. For example, after locking the door, tell yourself that you have locked it well. 

If you want to check it again after a few minutes, remind yourself of previous instances where this feeling has been proved wrong. Another way of doing it is keeping a count of the times that your OCD was wrong and keep that in mind.

#2 Keeping a check on ‘what if’ thoughts: when you are suffering from OCD, it is very natural to question everything and assume the worst. And these ‘what if’ questions need to be addressed and changed. 

Every time you are questioning any action, answer yourself with a feeling of certainty or assurance. Use examples from the past to tell yourself how futile the negative questions are, and that should help out. 

#3 Confronting the fears: there must be a series of things that trigger obsessive thoughts. But instead of ignoring them, it is time to face them. Write down your negative or worrying thoughts and create a hierarchy. Begin from things that cause less anxiety and then slowly move up the ladder to the thoughts that create the most anxiety. 

Once you have a well-defined list of things, think about them for a few times (not all at once, of course). The more you imagine and play certain scenarios in the head, the more comfortable you will get with them over time. 

#4 Using timers and reminders: now that you know the triggers, keep a timer or a reminder and do the task at a specific time. When it is done, pose a challenge to yourself to avoid rechecking. Your mind will slowly trust your action and will stop feeling the need of rechecking. 

What are some ways you use to overcome your OCD?

[Ella]

I think a lot of OCD comes down to a general anxiety that functions through actions to relieve stress. So in order to stop it, you need to relieve the stress. I watched something on YouTube sometime last year about how a woman had a major breakthrough with her OCD when she realized it was tied to her mother and father divorcing. 

[Sophia]

On 8/11/2021 at 7:17 PM, Ella said:

I think a lot of OCD comes down to a general anxiety that functions through actions to relieve stress. So in order to stop it, you need to relieve the stress. I watched something on YouTube sometime last year about how a woman had a major breakthrough with her OCD when she realized it was tied to her mother and father divorcing. 

This is true. I know someone personally who got help from her OCD habits by talking with a professional about it. She would always have to make sure everything was off in her house. She would go as far as unhooking the oven, dryer, and anything else that "might start a fire" which is actually bad! Someone who works with housing explained to her that you are safer leaving this stuff hooked up and not running.