Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a mental condition that affects millions of people all around the world. It can interfere with a person’s life and hinders their regular activities.
Worldwide statistical data finds that 1.1%-1.8% of individuals contend with OCD.
Within the US 1.2% of the adult population (or two-to-three million adults) is thought to face this condition. The APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), finds that women are affected by OCD at a slightly higher rate than men.
Thus, It is essential to know what is OCD and how to deal with OCD.
Writing this self-help guide aims to help you recognize OCD and help you know how to stop OCD thoughts from obstructing your daily activities.
What is OCD?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD is a neuropsychiatric condition characterized by Obsessions and Compulsions or a combination of both.
Obsessions are uncontrolled, and unwanted recurring thoughts that cause anxiety. While
Compulsions are the repetitive behaviors or actions a person does due to obsessions. Compulsions help alleviate anxiety.
OCD in Students
Students with OCD present with odd behaviors, such as daydreaming, being distracted, disinterested and incurious, unresponsive, or even lazy. There may be a lack of focus and an inability to concentrate on their tasks. In reality, they are swamped dealing with confusing, nerve-racking thoughts and images associated with OCD.
Have suspicions you might have OCD? Go to our OCD screening test and find out within minutes if you're likely to have the obsessive-compulsive disorder.
What are OCD Symptoms?
OCD sufferer experiences anxiety and a lot of stress with these intrusive thoughts. It adversely affects a person’s life and takes up much time.
Below are common OCD symptoms.
Obsessions | Compulsions |
|---|---|
OCD Self-Help Tips for Students
OCD has adverse effects on academics. Although Children with OCD have average or above average IQ, they can drop their grades because of the constant intrusive thoughts hindering their studies.
The following tips will help you understand how to stop OCD thoughts from interfering in your life.
Identify Your Triggers
Identifying your triggers is crucial in learning how to manage your anxiety. Determine what provokes obsessions and compulsions in you and make a list. Record your experience and rate the intensity of fear and anxiety you feel with each thought.
Once you have identified the trigger, you can anticipate the urges. With anticipation, you can help to alleviate the anxiety.
For example, If your compulsive behavior involves washing hands multiple times after touching anything, start with touching potentially contaminated surfaces such as waste paper baskets and not washing your hands afterward.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
ERP involves exposing yourself to obsessions but not acting on thoughts and avoiding compulsions.
For example, suppose compulsive behavior includes checking and rechecking that windows and doors are closed, and appliances are turned off. In that case, you can resist and challenge the compulsion after locking the door the first time attentively and not rechecking it despite the urge and anxiety. Eventually, the anxiety will go away on its own.
Confronting your biggest fears straight away might be extreme and probably do more harm than good. Thus, building your fear ladder and climbing your way up is vital.
Fear Ladder
Fear Ladder starts at the bottom with the least feared to the top with the most feared thoughts. Climb your way up by challenging all your fears and not giving in to your troublesome thoughts.
Identify your compulsive behavior and determine the goal of not doing it. For example, not rewriting everything once you are done with your essay or not checking the locks again and again. Now break it down into simple steps required to reach your goal and resist the urge at each step to overcome this.
The first step should make you only anxious, and the last step be controlling and forcing you to act. Now start with the least feared thought and face it. Remember not to distract yourself. Allow yourself to be anxious and twitchy. Just don’t follow your thoughts and actions.
Confront Your Obsessions
A person with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder may get shadowy and comfortless thoughts. Thus, the person may experience guilt and low mood for no good reason.
Therefore, it is essential to face these intrusive and unwelcoming thoughts. There are many ways to do that.
Consistently writing down repetitive thoughts over and over will help them lose their power.
Remind yourself that simply having an unpleasant thought does not mean it will happen in real life. Try this way; simply thinking you have won the lottery does not mean you have won it. Similarly, if you think you are evil, it does not mean you are. Remind yourself about the good things you have done.
Never try to block your thought. Remember, not trying to remember something will make your mind think of that particular thing. Our brains work mysteriously. For example, If I say, do not think of a pink giraffe. Now, what are you thinking? Therefore, processing your thought is more important than blocking them.
Ask for Help
The best way to deal with OCD is to discuss and go against it.
Avoiding talking about OCD will only make things worse. You will become socially disconnected. Social isolation can further aggravate OCD. Therefore, always stay connected with your friends and family.
You can also ask a supportive person to stay with you while resisting the urge until the anxiety disappears.
Manage Stress
Although stress is not the direct cause of Obsessive Compulsive disorder, it can trigger or worsen it if you already suffer from OCD. Therefore, it is necessary to anticipate the stressors and manage them.
Physical exercise and meeting people face to face can help you lessen the stress. Other relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises can also help.
Lifestyle Changes
A healthy lifestyle is crucial in dealing with anxiety and OCD. Contrary to myth, smoking causes higher levels of anxiety. Lack of sleep can also trigger OCD. Therefore, exercise regularly, avoid alcohol and nicotine and get enough sleep to deal with OCD effectively.
