18/09/2015
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Pop Star Sam Smith used Hypnosis to cure his OCD.
Pop Star Sam Smith revealed at the recent GQ Awards how he cured his OCD with Hypnosis. He used to struggle so badly with OCD that he filmed himself going through daily rituals before leaving his home.
When speaking to GQ he said “I had to film myself flicking off every plug and checking every tap” “I had a fear if the house was going to flood or burn I would have proof I had nothing to do with it.”
I have provided a little information below about Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD) and some detail on how Hypnotherapy may help with those suffering from it.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE AN ARTICLE FULL OF “TECHNICAL" or “SCIENTIFIC” INFORMATION, BUT AN OVERVIEW.
What is OCD?
OCD affects between 2 and 3% of the population and is typically characterised by recurrent thoughts, impulses or images that are experienced as intrusive or inappropriate and that cause anxiety or distress.
The disorder is split up into obsessions and compulsions.
Obsessions are anxiety inducing thoughts and compulsions are repetitive behaviours or mental acts that the person feels compelled to do in response to an obsession, and in order to relieve any anxiety that they are feeling.
Obsessions can be intrusive and recurrent thoughts, ideas or impulses and they can be worrying, repulsive, obscene or even blasphemous. These thoughts, ideas or impulses are not voluntary and often invade the sufferer’s consciousness. Obsessing over germs and dirt, nagging doubts, sexual thoughts, fear that things are not safe are common obsessions. Most of us no doubt will have experienced obsessive thoughts from time to time, however if they occur regularly and interfere with one’s normal daily routines and relationships can cause extreme distress.
Compulsions are actions an individual feels compelled to perform to reduce their anxiety they feel from an obsession. These are repeated continuously and much of the time carried out without conscious thought.
One of the most common examples of OCD is the obsessive worry about dirt or germs followed by excessive washing to remove contamination. Others can include anxiety that something bad will happen as a result of a forgotten action such as locking the door or turning off the cooker or iron etc., which is followed by repeated checking. Counting, repeating, hoarding and endlessly rearranging objects in an effort to keep them in precise alignment are just a few other examples of compulsive behaviours.
Unlike other compulsive habits such as drinking or drug abuse, the person suffering from OCD is not repeating their compulsions to provide pleasure.
Most people with OCD are attempting to ward off harm from their obsessive thoughts by repeating their compulsive behaviours. Some people do this in an extremely regimented fashion with rituals that are the same every time, whilst others have rituals that could be complex and change frequently. Carrying out these rituals may give the person some relief from their anxiety, but it is only temporary relief.
When diagnosing OCD, an important distinction needs to be made. This involves the level of disturbance the obsessions and compulsions are causing to the individual. In order to be diagnosed with the disorder, the individual’s anxiety must cause significant distress and interfere with their daily activities. Usually compulsive behaviours take up more than an hour a day and can be much more time consuming than that for many.
It is important to note that many people can be described as ‘Compulsive’ simply because they hold themselves to a high standard, are perfectionists or very organised. This type of compulsiveness can invariably serve a valuable purpose in assisting the person and contributing to their self-esteem and work performance. However, if extreme enough to interfere with functioning, it can constitute an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
In almost every case, people who experience OCD will recognise at some point, that their obsessions are excessive or unreasonable. Much of the time, the individual is ashamed of these thoughts and behaviours and will attempt to hide them from others. The downside of this is that unfortunately, this means that it could take many years before people seek help for their disorder.
So, what are some of the symptoms of OCD?
*Chronic worrying
*Obsessions with germs or dirt
*Persistent unwanted thoughts
*Obsessions with touching
*Obsessions with order and counting
*Irritability
*Loss of concentration
*Trouble sleeping
What Causes OCD?
Whilst no single cause is known for OCD, it is believed that there are genetic and biological factors involved. Research suggests that OCD may run in families and so there could be a genetic link.
The Lack of the Brain chemical Serotonin could also be a cause. It is also said that some personality types may be more likely to develop OCD, and whilst stress itself does not cause OCD, a stressful event may trigger the condition in some people.
Research has found that OCD usually appears in childhood or adolescence and symptoms may come and go ease over time or get steadily worse. Some sufferers will have the obsessions but no physical outward compulsions, which is a form of OCD often called 'Pure O'. Other anxiety disorders that can accompany OCD are depression, eating disorders and drug or alcohol abuse.
How can OCD be treated?
Effective treatment is available for OCD and usually involves Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and/or medication and can help people resume normal daily activities. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor medications are said to be the most effective for this disorder.
Can Hypnotherapy help those suffering with OCD?
Hypnotherapy is widely used to assist sufferers with getting back to normal daily activities.
Hypnotherapy can offer a form of psychological treatment for OCD symptoms as it can help OCD sufferers to control OCD symptoms, rather than the symptoms controlling them.
The aim of Hypnotherapy is to change your thinking so that you can take control of your OCD. This is very important because many OCD sufferers feel that they are being controlled by OCD. In this sense, hypnotherapy can be seen as a psychological treatment for OCD. It can help the person suffering with OCD to make the distinction between what they feel is true (for example, the oven has been left on, did they lock the front door etc,) and what is actually true (for example, the oven is off, the front door is locked etc). This can be achieved in two ways. Firstly, hypnotherapy can encourage you to consciously think in a different way. Secondly, it can change your thoughts and feelings on an unconscious level. Both of these can help you to take control of OCD. In this sense, it is similar to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (albeit on an unconscious basis).
The core of the problem(s) can be determined by the analysis element of the treatment. If anxiety can be dealt with, the OCD symptoms that are fuelled by this can then follow suit.
Hypnotherapy can break your dependence on OCD medication to control your OCD symptoms.
Once the root cause of the OCD has been pinpointed and targeted, the hypnotherapy treatment will then work on desensitisation. If the hypnotherapy treatment has been successful sufferers may find that they no longer rely on OCD medication to control the OCD symptoms, which should allow a gradual phasing out of the medication. It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to understand that you should not suddenly stop taking your medication even if you no longer need it but to follow guidelines via your medical practitioner in relation to being weaned off the medication.
If you or someone you know could do with a Positive Change to their life visit my website @ www.rameshchauhan.co.uk, call me on 07976 691 363, or send an email to [email protected]
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Ramesh Chauhan, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Master Hypnotist & Certificated Practitioner of NLP. Providing Hypnotherapy, Personal & Professional Development and Life Coaching Services
