Obsessive compulsive disorder is a symptom of an underlying anxiety condition. The obsessions experienced by OCD sufferers range from inappropriate thoughts, for example about harming someone or subconscious counting, to carrying out invasive, compulsive rituals such as constant checking, hand washing or tidying.
OCD is driven by anxiety. The ?what if??? thought processes, driven by the anxiety of possible consequences, cause the sufferer to ?manufacture? inappropriate scenarios in their minds, catastrophic thinking such as ?what if I don?t wash my hands again, will something bad happen?? Once the sufferer has made the link in their mind between avoiding anxiety provoking consequences and hand-washing, the subconscious, anxious mind perpetuates those thoughts and the obsessive compulsions of OCD develop.
Like all anxiety disorders, OCD usually develops as a result of increased exposure to anxiety provoking situations or experiences; the sufferer then creates a subconscious, anxious ?habit? in their subconscious mind which becomes automatic. Whilst there is no evidence that anxiety disorders are genetically linked, those with a predisposition to high levels of anxiety are the most vulnerable. Usually, anxiety disorders are experienced by people with a high level of creativity which is a requirement of the subconscious mind which utilises that creativity to create these inappropriate anxious scenarios and behaviours. OCD can be accompanied by phobias and panic attacks and can present the sufferer with a wide range of anxious symptoms and thoughts.
Charles Linden
The Linden Method for Anxiety, Panic Attacks & Phobias
The Linden Centre
+44 (0)1562 742004
www.thelindenmethod.co.uk
www.panic-anxiety.com
Short note about the author
Charles Linden, ex anxiety disorder sufferer and developer of The Linden Method for anxiety, panic attacks, OCD and phobias is also head of The Linden Centres International. Charles, 38, is married to Beth and has two children Charlie and Florence.
Charles suffered with anxiety for most of his childhood up until he was 27 years old which is when he ?reverse engineered? the solution which was to become his internationally renowned anxiety elimination methodology.
Charles and Beth manage The Centres from their bases in Europe, providing support for English, Spanish, German and Spanish language versions of The Linden Method.
Author: Charles Linden