An obsession is essentially a recurrent preoccupation with a thought, situation, thing, problem, or even a person. Obsessions can sometimes be very productive, but when an obsession causes distress, then it becomes a problem.

The most common obsessional states I see in my practice are health anxiety (hypochondria), insecurity or jealousy in relationships, over-checking, intrusive sexual thoughts (often highly distressing), and body image or food.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe form of repeated  highly irrational thoughts, combined with compulsive behaviours that seek to satisfy them.

The good news is that OCD is treatable. I use a combination of anxiety reduction, hypnotherapy and exposure response prevention (ERP) to bring about relief from symptoms and positive well being. It will take some commitment on your part but for most people the results are well worth it.

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Obsessions can be experienced as unwanted intrusive thoughts or images that repeatedly come back, no matter how much you try to stop them. Compulsions are the repetitive behaviours and rituals that people develop to neutralise these thoughts and reassure their fears. A simple mild example is someone who needs to recheck the front door lock in a certain way, perhaps a set number of times, before leaving the house each day.

Some compulsions are entirely mental. A severe example is someone who spends many hours every day dissecting feared sexual thoughts and trying to reassure himself that the thoughts are not real. Another would be someone who imagines terrible harm coming to loved ones, then has to imagine a ‘good’ scene to prevent it from coming true. There is often the fear that one’s thoughts will actually cause the events to come true unless they are neutralised or replaced – a form of magical thinking.

In many cases there is an unusual tendency to doubt one’s own perceptions, such that one has to recheck repeatedly even having seen the door is locked; or when one seeks reassurance that he doesn’t really desire to act out unwanted sexual thoughts. Some sufferers will feel the need to avoid knives or sharp objects for fear that they might suddenly – almost involuntarily – act out a thought of harming someone.

This may be because OCD sufferers seem to experience thoughts or images more strongly and intrusively than usual. However it is the individual’s reaction to these thoughts that perpetuates the problem, not the thoughts themselves. It is crucial to recognise that these thoughts do not lead to any actual harm, except for the distress they cause and time wasted on them. That is, the person with OCD does not want to act upon these thoughts but instead fears them intensely.

Intrusive obsessive thoughts typically trigger anxiety, guilt, shame or disgust with much time and energy spent trying to make them stop. Anxiety escalates rapidly if the sufferer is prevented from carrying out their rituals – whether behavioural or purely mental.

It is important to realise that, for some people, being obsessive, meticulous or fussy is part of their nature; it cannot be eliminated entirely. However, by reducing anxiety, the obsessive tendency can be lessened and then channelled more productively into more rewarding activities and goals. That is the path to positive well being once symptoms are reduced.

The gold standard psychological treatment for OCD is called exposure response prevention (ERP) – a form of behaviour therapy. Cognitive therapy also plays a valuable role, particularly working with thoughts and beliefs about the condition. Other methods, such as solution-focused therapy and hypnotherapy can be employed as adjunctive therapies to help with positive thinking and relaxation.

There are also some helpful medications for OCD. If you are suffering severely please speak to your doctor, as well as coming to see me.

My program can help you break the vicious cycle of OCD, reduce fear, and give proper understanding of your personality. You can then be helped to get well, enjoy your life, and positively channel your thought energy into worthwhile goals.