How to Overcome Intrusive Thoughts With OCD Counselling?

India is starting to realize the importance of mental well-being, and why it can help lead a healthy life. We now give mental health the same attention as physical health. But still, there is a certain stigma associated with mental health issues and awareness. This makes it difficult for people dealing with issues like anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, etc. to get the required treatment.

OCD  (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is a battle that many of us fight on a daily.

Counseling is a great way to manage intrusive thoughts in OCD through therapy and psychological assessments.

Visit Wownow Counselling Centre to avail of our services that deal with mental health like OCD. We offer OCD Counselling online to handle it better.

The article deals with intrusive thoughts in OCD, and how to overcome them.

It also takes a look at how an OCD doctor or a therapist can help you manage intrusive thoughts.

What are Intrusive Thoughts in OCD?

Imagine that you are just going on about your work or studies. You are simply sitting at your desk, focusing on a piece of work.

Suddenly a random scenario enters your mind. It can be an embarrassing or scary scene that you do not want to happen in real life.

They can be alarming scenarios like a loved one or yourself dying, meeting a car accident, falling from great heights, etc.

It can be anything from the past that you are trying to forget. Such thoughts can also be violent or sexual thoughts repeatedly arising in your mind.

These thoughts are called intrusive thoughts. They enter your mind without any warning and can create stressful situations.

This is completely normal as such thoughts occur in the minds of most of us.

But it can be extremely disturbing to some people and can cause prolonged periods of stress.

People with OCD usually struggle with symptoms called false memories.

They happen when someone is unable to distinguish between real incidents and false memories. Memory loss counseling strategies improve memory problems resulting from disease or trauma.

Other Symptoms People with OCD face

They also face compulsion symptoms where they feel compulsorily do certain things.

Such things include cleaning, checking on things, arranging and organizing things, washing, counting, etc.

They do this since they think doing them will prevent accidents or anything that causes anxiety.

Obsession Symptoms in OCD are behaviors of showing obsession over tidying up things, arranging unorganized things, images of dirt, etc.

They are persistent thoughts that repeatedly occur.

What do Intrusive Thoughts Indicate?

Psychologists suggest that intrusive thoughts are the indication of something that is worrying a person.

It can be anxiety at work, a bothersome project, financial issues, or even trauma. One may also be suppressing memories from an incident they would like to forget.

You need not worry if you are somebody who has good control over your thoughts. But the occurrence of such thoughts on a regular basis can be concerning.

They can be symptoms of mental health issues like anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD, etc.

You can manage them yourself or will have to consult a therapist if they disrupt your daily activities.

Read on to know more about you can handle such intrusive thoughts yourself.

How to manage Intrusive Thoughts?

Intrusive thoughts usually repeat and replay in your mind like an echo. It is difficult to get rid of them completely, but you can manage them to feel better.

As mentioned before, such thoughts can be symptoms of issues like anxiety, depression, OCD, etc.

But people with OCD will find it much more difficult to manage such thoughts.  They will be extremely stressed out by these intrusive thoughts.

Given below are a few ways to manage intrusive thoughts to reduce stress and anxiety.

• Understand the root cause:

Introspection through self-talk and journaling will help identify why such thoughts occur.

Look at the problem at a much deeper level and get to the root cause.

Accept the thoughts, acknowledge them, and let them go.

• Do not be scared of the thoughts:

Positive self-talk is necessary for making yourself ready to fight such thoughts. Understand that you are bigger than those thoughts.

Try not to take them personally, and do not be attached to them emotionally.

• Medications:

Your psychiatrist will prescribe certain antidepressants that can help deal with OCD and intrusive thoughts.

Regular intake of such medicines is proven to heal and reduce the occurrence of such thoughts.

Therapy is the last straw for people who do not find any of these methods effective.

Let us see how therapy can help fight intrusive thoughts in OCD.

How does Counselling and Therapy help with OCD?

Counselors try to understand your behavior and conduct psychological assessments.

They provide a safe space for you to open up about your health and the problems you face.

Counselors help you with the right kind of therapy and treatment to bring about progress in your mental health.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a common therapy used to diagnose and treat mental health issues.

Through CBT, you get access to treatment strategies and plans to avoid intrusive thoughts and other symptoms.

A few types of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy include:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps you get better at accepting your thoughts and feelings.

Acceptance and detachment of intrusive thoughts are necessary for getting better at handling them.

• Exposure and Response Prevention

This kind of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy aims at exposing the person to situations and thoughts that they fear.

This makes them realize that they are bigger than their thoughts, and are brave enough to face them.

Other methods of therapy include hypnosis. It helps people understand that not performing obsessive or compulsive acts doesn’t lead to danger.

Visit Wownow Counselling Centre to get OCD Treated

Wownow Counselling Centre offers the best solutions and strategies to people struggling with OCD.

Our team of certified and experienced psychiatrists and psychologists is here to help you.

They conduct video calls to understand your problem with OCD and offer the ideal treatment plan.

Contact us, to let us join you on your journey of fighting OCD.