How to Cure OCD

You can cure your OCD.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that afflicts many people. While some television shows and movies make light of the symptoms of OCD, people who struggle with it find their issues to be anything but funny. They often wonder if there is a cure. The answer is yes. Read on to learn how to cure OCD.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Strong desire to heal from OCD

1. Recognize that OCD is a symptom of a deeper problem. OCD does not happen in a vacuum. OCD is an anxiety disorder that is a symptom of a deeper emotional issue. To cure OCD, you must first heal the emotional pain that is creating the anxiety driving the OCD.

2. Explore the underlying cause of your anxiety issues. People who have suffered from some form of trauma often struggle with OCD. People who have endured trauma lacked control over their traumatizing situation. OCD is a way to take control of things that do not matter, because the person feels a lack of control over the things that do matter.

3. Express your underlying anger. Anger that has not been expressed often manifests itself as anxiety. Because anger must express itself in some fashion, the repressed anger turns on the person in the form of anxiety. To cure OCD, you must get in touch with your unexpressed anger and give it a voice. Explore why you have repressed anger and learn how to express it in a safe manner. As you express your anger, you will experience less anxiety, which, in turn, will help you cure your OCD.

4. Practice deep breathing. When you become anxious, your breathing becomes shallower. Deep breathing counteracts this process and can reduce your anxiety level. Learn how to use deep breathing to manage your anxiety, and you will be one step closer to a cure for your OCD.

5. Develop more positive coping tools. Incorporate different ways in which you can manage your anxiety without having to engage in your OCD rituals. For example, practice yoga and meditation. Exercise. Go for a long walk with your dog. Play a musical instrument. Do something that helps you stay present in your life and enjoy being alive.

6. Reduce the severity of your OCD behaviors. For example, if you hoard pens, ask yourself if you can get by with one fewer pen in your purse. Try reducing the number of pens in your purse by one a week until you reach a more manageable number.

7. Ease yourself off your OCD rituals slowly. Weaning yourself off an OCD ritual can result in even more anxiety, causing other OCD symptoms to spin out of control. Recognize that it might take a while to cure your OCD. If you feel the anxiety building, give yourself permission to engage in your OCD rituals while celebrating all of the progress you make as you go.

Tips & Warnings

• A good therapist can help you cure your OCD, as well as help you heal from the underlying anxiety that is driving the OCD symptoms.

• Yoga and meditation are wonderful ways to learn how to stay present and calm your anxiety. Consider incorporating yoga and meditation into your daily routine to help you cure your OCD.

• Do not try to stop your OCD rituals without putting other coping mechanisms into place first. The OCD rituals are coping mechanisms that are helping you manage your underlying anxiety. If you remove the rituals, you will become extremely anxious and run the risk of having a psychotic episode.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish