Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCD) is an anxiety mental disorder characterized by the presence of a neurosis of obsessive thoughts, ideas, conditions and fears (phobias) that arise without the conscious will of the patient. Thoughts entail obsessive actions (rituals).
The ICD-10 code for OCD is found in section F40–F48: “Neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders.” There is a separate code for obsessive-compulsive neurosis - F42 “Obsessive-compulsive disorder”. Neurosis consists of 2 components:
- Obsessions are uncontrollable thoughts, fears, ideas. They act as an impulse for obsessive actions and movements
- Compulsions are the same type of repetitive actions, by performing which the patient temporarily relieves anxiety.
Method number 1 - Solution.
As a rule, negative thoughts come from unresolved problems. It's simple! If the problem is solvable, then solve it and thereby rid yourself of bad thoughts. If it’s not solvable, then accept it (but more on that below). It all depends only on you, friends. Some people enjoy complaining about life, feeling sorry for themselves and constantly chasing depressive thoughts in their heads, but do nothing to correct the current situation, which resulted in obsessive thoughts.
If you are reading these lines, then you belong to a different type of person. You prefer to find a solution to a problem rather than engage in self-flagellation. And it is right! Just figure out what caused the bad thought. And then change something in your life so that there is no reason for such thoughts. By eliminating the problems and circumstances that bother you, you will solve the question “how to get rid of bad thoughts” - they will simply stop visiting you. The essence of this technique is not to savor negative thoughts, but to act. Don’t sit still, create, change the reality around you - and there will be no reasons for bad thoughts or there will be significantly fewer reasons. It's simple!
Books and other literature on the topic
To learn more about intrusive thoughts, where they come from, why they happen, and how to stop them, check out this book. There are many variations in the books, some of which were written by the famous author David A. Clark:
- Intrusive Thoughts in Clinical Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment David A. Clark.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Psychologist's Guide to Overcoming Depression, Anxiety, and Obsessive Thought Patterns—Effective Methods for Rewiring Your Brain David A. Clark.
- Free Your Mind: A Guide to Freedom from Anxiety, Depression, Panic Attacks and Obsessive Rumination by Jamie Stevens.
- Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Intrusive Bad Thoughts by Lee Baer.
- Overcoming Obsessive Thoughts: How to Get Control of OCD David A. Clark.
- Brain Block: Break Free from Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors by Jeffrey M. Schwartz.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: 7 ways to get rid of anxiety, depression and intrusive rumination. Author: Lawrence Wallace.
- John Hershfield, Tom Corboy, and James Claiborne, The Mindfulness Book of OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
- David A. Clark and Judith S. Beck The Worrying Thoughts Book: Skills for Coping with Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts That Cause Anxiety, Obsessions, and Depression.
- Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Rumination: A CBT-Based Guide to Overcoming Fearful, Intrusive, or Anxious Thoughts by Sally M. Winston and Martin N. Seif.
Method number 2 - Removal. Substitution.
For this technique (as for all others) we need a little awareness. As soon as you realize that bad thoughts have crept into your head, then remove them without delay. There is no need to dwell on the negative, just forget it and don’t develop this topic in your mind. As they say, a holy place is never empty, so we need to fill it with something. It’s best to put something positive (or at least neutral) in place of a negative thought.
The main thing is not to fight a bad thought, but to immediately drown it out with other thoughts, without giving bad strength and without feeding it with your energy. In fact, we need to distract ourselves from negative thoughts, stop stressing ourselves out, and simply switch to more joyful thoughts. Each time the “removal + replacement” technique will give better and better results, and soon you will not notice how you will begin to use it automatically, easily cutting off the negative and replacing it with constructive thoughts. After all, it is impossible to think about good and bad at the same time; our consciousness always tries to concentrate on one thing. Take advantage of it!
Examples of negative offset
Negativity bias can have a variety of real-world consequences for how people think and act. Do any of these situations and events sound familiar? Let's consider the situations:
- You received a generally positive assessment of your performance at work and noted your high results and achievements. A few constructive comments pointed out areas where you could do better, and you'll find yourself dwelling on those comments. Instead of feeling good about the positive aspects of your performance, you become upset and angry about a few critical comments.
- After a fight with your significant other, you find yourself focusing on all of your partner's shortcomings. Instead of recognizing his good points, you dwell on all his shortcomings. Even the most trivial flaws are magnified while positive characteristics are ignored.
- You still vividly remember how you humiliated yourself in front of your friends, although this event happened many years ago. You feel embarrassed about it, although your friends have probably completely forgotten about it.
Method number 3 - Reduction to the point of absurdity.
When you discover bad thoughts, immerse yourself completely in them and purposefully bring them to the point of absurdity. For example, you are worried that you won’t be able to get a job. Then you need to imagine in vivid colors what kind of failure awaits you at the interview. Use your imagination! Imagine how a hiring manager immediately rejects you in a rude manner. He makes scary faces, throws tomatoes at you and swears. You decide to leave this chaos, and you almost succeeded, but it didn’t work out that way. The insidious cleaning lady jumps out from around the corner with a wild scream and spanks you with all her might with a wet rag. Because of all this bacchanalia, you fall down the stairs. And while you were at the interview, your house burned down, so you can rightfully call yourself homeless. And then aliens kidnap you and conduct experiments on you. Now you are a human cockroach. Normal? This is completely absurd, but such exaggeration helps take away the power of a negative thought. Just try it!
Consequences
While we may no longer need to be on high alert the way our early ancestors needed to survive, negativity bias still plays a major role in how our brains work. Research has shown that negative bias can have a big impact on how people think, react, and feel.
If you are dependent on the opinions of other people, read the parable of the horse, father and daughter
I make a delicious dessert from banana, sugar, milk and eggs: I can do it in an hour
Excessive amounts of CO₂ in the oceans will increase fish populations
Some of the everyday areas in which you may feel the results of this bias include your relationships, decision making, and how you perceive people.
Negativity bias can have a profound impact on your relationships. Bias can lead people to expect the worst from others, especially in close relationships where people have known each other for a long time. Negative bias can also influence decision making.
Method number 4 - Acceptance.
Sometimes it is useless to run from your obsessive thoughts. For example, when we worry about the life and health of people close to us. In this case, there is nothing left but to accept these negative thoughts. Realize that these thoughts are what you are actually experiencing. After all, this is normal! Accept these negative thoughts for what they are and agree to live with them for a while. Don't let these intrusive thoughts control your behavior. Be aware of the presence of these thoughts, but do not act according to their rules. Observe bad thoughts as if from the outside, without allowing them to take over you. Do your best, and the rest is not in your power. When we accept what we cannot cope with, it often stops bothering us. Remember, friends, that negative thoughts only have power over you if you react to them. To react or not to react is your choice.
Proof
The tendency to focus more on bad things and ignore good things is probably the result of evolution. Previously in human history, paying attention to bad, dangerous, and negative threats in the world was literally a matter of life and death. Those who were more attuned to danger and paid more attention to the bad things around them were more likely to survive.
A UK woman believed she had spotted a penguin near her home.
You can discuss working with a pet and more: what are the benefits of animals in the home office
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This meant they were also more likely to pass on genes that made them more alert to danger.
Research shows that this negative bias begins to emerge in infancy. Very young children tend to pay more attention to positive facial expressions and tone of voice, but this begins to change as they approach one year of age.
A negative slope occurs in the second half of the child’s first year of life. One study found that babies younger than three months of age show signs of bias when judging others.
Scientific evidence has shown that the brain responds to negative stimuli to a greater extent. Studies involving the measurement of event-related brain potentials, which measure the brain's response to specific sensory, cognitive or motor stimuli, have shown that negative stimuli produce a greater brain response than positive ones.
Method #5 - Write down your negative thoughts.
Another effective way to get rid of bad thoughts in your head. Write down your negative thoughts on paper, on your computer or smartphone. Write them down in detail, in colors, in detail. For the more we write about our experiences, the less often we return to them later, the less they bother us in the future. Consider each entry as a completed part of your life. All this has already passed and turned into history. Leave all the negativity on paper or in an electronic diary - and start creating a new life without annoying thoughts. Everything will work out!
Categories and types of symptoms
The manifestation of symptoms can be divided into 2 categories.
1. Symptoms of Obsession: Repetitive, persistent and unwanted thoughts, urges or images that are intrusive and cause stress or anxiety.
Examples: fear of getting dirty, aggressive thoughts about harming yourself or others, unwanted thoughts about sexual or religious topics.
2. Symptoms of compulsion: repetitive behavior that forces you to do the same thing over and over again to prevent or reduce anxiety. But they only bring temporary relief. Examples: washing and cleaning, checking locks and taps.
Method #6 - Think about it tomorrow.
Despite its simplicity, it is also a fairly effective technique. If you are tired of fighting negative thoughts, for example, those that prevent you from falling asleep, then tell yourself: “I’ll think about it tomorrow!” If the bad thoughts are not particularly serious, then your brain will agree with this proposal. As they say, the morning is wiser than the evening. In the morning everything becomes clearer and clearer. And there is a high probability that in the morning the negativity will simply stop bothering you. Or you will get a good night's sleep, rest, and find ways to solve problems with renewed vigor. Or even the problem will solve itself. Guys, this technique is applicable in other situations. The main thing is to get rid of bad thoughts at least for a while. New opportunities or circumstances may open up in the future, meaning your negative thoughts will simply become meaningless. Why then think about something that will not matter in the future? That's right, there's no need. Realizing this, it is much easier to throw negativity out of your head. Well, then it’s a matter of technology.
The nature of obsessions
From the point of view of psychiatry, obsessive-compulsive disorder is the continuous repetition of unpleasant and uncomfortable ideas, situations, beliefs, memories, and actions. It is impossible to get rid of them through willful efforts. Obsessions are violent. Obsessions hide an exaggerated problem from the patient’s life in a distorted form. The unconscious, irrational nature of obsessions signals the presence of an internal problem that needs to be resolved. This condition can be compared to Windows alerts that pop up without permission and cause irritation. This notification window will not stop appearing until you fix the problem in the system. Obsessions cause unpleasant feelings in the patient; he understands their groundlessness and uselessness. Attempts at conscious control are unsuccessful. Uncontrolled flow of thinking creates severe stress, causes anxiety, and interferes with normal social life.
