Obsessions are present in almost everyone now. In daily life, obsession with cleanliness, obsession with order and symmetry, checking the stove several times when leaving the house, and many other obsessive thoughts are common in most people. Although all kinds of obsessive thoughts disturb people, some obsessions negatively affect people's lives and lead to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, that is, obsession disease.
- So, what are these obsessions?
- How can we deal with it? ?
Expert Psychologist Seliyha Doşmaz gave information about obsession disease and ways to cope with it.
Not Every Obsession is a Disease
Obsessive thinking is not only in people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (obsession disease), according to research; Obsessive thoughts are common in many people. It is important to distinguish unwanted compulsive thoughts(normal obsessions), which are very similar to obsessions in content, from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(OCD)obsessions. Because while one is normal, the other is a sign of a disease that needs to be treated on its own. The main difference between the two is; People with OCD report more obsessions, and their obsessions are more intense, distressing, and very difficult to control.
Don't Let Obsessive Thoughts Capture Your Mind
The obsessions seen in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (obsession disease) are persistent thoughts, images or impulses that constantly come to mind involuntarily and often disturb the person. Obsessions suddenly enter your mind uninvited and are unwanted, inappropriate, and distressing. Obsessions are about recurring and often unpleasant issues that are beyond the person's control. While the obsessions related to cleanliness, order and symmetry are mostly known by people in our society, these are actually only a few of the types of obsessions. Obsessions can be thought of as a big tree with various branches. The branches of this tree are related to pollution obsessions, aggression obsessions, sexual obsessions, religious obsessions, obsessions with order and symmetry, illnesses. Love obsessions and other obsessions (wanting to know and remember everything, etc.) constitute.
Do Not Surrender to Disgusting Obsessions
Obsession Although all kinds of problems disturb the person, the person experiences this distress more especially if the area of obsession is related to sexuality and religious issues. Because a person who is obsessed with cleanliness evaluates himself as "too meticulous" at most; People with aggression, sexual or religious obsessions can evaluate themselves very negatively. These people feel ashamed of themselves or other people, thinking that they are perverts deep down, that they have repressed excessive sexual urges, that they are sinful people with doubts about God and religion, or that they are dangerous people who have the potential to harm their loved ones. The feeling of shame causes them not to be able to share their problems with anyone and therefore not to seek help, causing them to enter a situation that increases their problems in the long run.
Obsessive Ideas That Are Not Suitable for Your Personality and Goals Lead to Anxiety
Unfortunately, in our society, there are many undiagnosed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder patients who cannot disclose this to anyone due to such uncontrollable thoughts, images or impulses, are ashamed to do so and therefore cannot get out of the vortex of obsession. However, when viewed clinically, the thought of "my hands are not clean" and the thought of "the person he is talking to is naked", which constantly comes to a person's mind and disturbs the person and causes him to take various precautions, are no different. Both can be symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. So all these may be nothing but different manifestations of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It should not be forgotten that obsessions tend to contain ideas that are not compatible with your personality, moral values, ideals and goals. For this reason, people who come without the person's control, disturb the person and increase his anxiety, take various precautions to prevent these obsessions from coming to his mind, or engage in repetitive behavior; Regardless of the type of thoughts that come to your mind, seek help for psychiatric evaluation. It is important that your thoughts are in order.
Are Your Thoughts Obsessive?
It is important to undergo a psychological evaluation to understand whether your thoughts are the obsessions of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. However, in general, there are differences between the obsessions in OCD and normal obsessions.
Accordingly;
- Obsessions are different from negative thoughts or normal obsessions. It has a challenging character. In other words, they occur suddenly, against your will, and do not occur on purpose.
- Obsessions, unlike negative thoughts, cause serious discomfort and are completely unwanted thoughts.
- Obsessions involve resistance. So, most people with OCD struggle with obsession. They try to suppress it, get it out of their minds, or prevent it from recurring.
- Obsesions cannot be controlled. People with OCD often feel that they have lost control over their obsessions.
- Obsessiones are foreign to the self. In other words, the content of obsessions is usually against people's basic values, ethical principles or personalities.
It is Possible to Get Rid of Your Obsessions
Nowadays OCD In other words, there are serious advances in the treatment of obsession disease, both biologically and psychologically. Medication helps reduce the frequency of obsessions and the stress caused by them. It is possible to teach life-long skills in the treatment of obsessional disease through psychotherapy. Today, cognitive behavioral therapies are considered the most successful psychological treatment method for obsession problems. The basic assumption of Cognitive Behavioral Therapies is that thoughts and emotions are interconnected.
For example; Although many people experience obsessive thoughts, they are not disturbed by them. The reason is that these people do not perceive such thoughts as meaningful, harmful, indicating danger or requiring a reaction. Therefore, they can easily remove those thoughts from their minds. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps you understand what obsessive thoughts mean to you. It focuses on what it expresses and your behavioral response to that thought.
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