What is OCD?
Have you ever heard someone described as “OCD”? In popular culture, the term usually refers to someone who is organized or values cleanliness. However, individuals described this way rarely suffer from true obsessive-compulsive disorder.
That’s because the actual prevalence of OCD is relatively low. According to Google, roughly 2% of Americans have experienced OCD during their lifetimes, and only about 1% experience it currently. Many others experience OCD-like symptoms without meeting criteria for a formal diagnosis. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, hypnosis for OCD can help you step out of obsessive-compulsive loops and take back control of your life.
What are the criteria for OCD?
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, is the guide clinicians use to diagnose mental health conditions. According to the DSM, OCD involves “the presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both.”
In addition, these symptoms must take up more than one hour per day and cause “clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.” Symptoms must not be due to substance use and must be distinguishable from other mental disorders, such as other forms of anxiety.
What are obsessions?
The DSM defines obsessions as:
- “Recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images”
- Intrusive and unwanted
- Cause marked anxiety or distress
Another important element of obsessions involves how the individual responds to them:
“The individual attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts… or to neutralize them with some other thought or action.”
According to the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, obsessions are often supported by a belief system—one that assigns high importance to the obsession and dictates what “must” be done in response. Hypnosis for OCD can help explore and transform this belief system.
What are compulsions?
The DSM defines compulsions as:
“Repetitive behaviors (e.g., hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession…”
These actions are intended to reduce distress or prevent a feared event—but they’re either excessive or not realistically connected to the perceived threat.
What are themes in OCD?
Themes refer to the content or subject matter of obsessions and compulsions. Common themes include:
- Health or bodily functions
- Somatic symptoms
- Cleanliness
- Thoughts
- Religion
- Relationships
- Pedophilia concerns
While these are frequently seen, it’s important to know that any topic can become a theme in OCD.
OCD symptoms that do not meet diagnostic threshold
Subclinical OCD—or OCD-like symptoms that don’t meet full diagnostic criteria—is more common than clinical OCD. For example, someone may obsess over work, compulsively overachieve, or seek excessive reassurance in relationships. Their symptoms may not cause enough distress to qualify for a diagnosis.
Even at subclinical levels, these symptoms can interfere with life. If you’re unsure whether you have clinical OCD, but recognize obsessive or compulsive patterns, hypnosis for OCD can still offer relief.
What causes OCD?
Several factors can contribute to the development of OCD:
Biological factors
OCD tends to run in families and is considered a polygenic disorder (Taylor, 2012). That means no single “OCD gene” exists—instead, multiple genes, each with a small effect, combine to influence its development.
Environmental factors
Trauma and stress, especially in early life, can act as triggers.
COVID-19
Dar and colleagues found that 82.4% of people discharged from a COVID-19 treatment center in North India developed contamination fears and engaged in compulsive handwashing.
Emotional challenges
OCD may relate to problems in emotional recognition and expression—also seen in conditions like schizophrenia (Dar et al., 2021).
Psychological patterns
Distorted thinking, rigid rules, and faulty assumptions can increase the urgency of compulsions and reinforce the power of obsessions.
How does OCD affect your life?
Psychologist Reid Wilson describes OCD as “a thief that overtakes your consciousness and robs you of a rich, full life.” Some of the ways OCD can interfere with daily functioning include:
- Feeling trapped in distressing thought loops
- Spending significant time performing rituals
- Losing touch with your own goals, values, and identity
- Strained relationships
Struggles with work, school, or social obligations
Hypnosis for OCD
Hypnosis for OCD can be a powerful part of a broader psychotherapeutic approach. Here are some ways it can help:
- Enhance traditional treatments like CBT and ERP (exposure and response prevention)
- Help you face fears with greater relaxation during ERP
- Shift your relationship to anxiety, reducing distress
- Increase motivation for therapy homework
- Support mindfulness and improve disengagement from obsessions
- Reinforce inner resources that aid in resisting compulsions
- Expand moments of relief from OCD’s influence
- Modify underlying beliefs that sustain obsessions and compulsions
What does hypnosis for OCD look like week-to-week?
- A split-treatment model combining CBT + hypnosis
- Sessions: 1–2 times per week
- Duration: 12–24 sessions typical
- Includes therapeutic assignments between sessions
What is possible with hypnosis for OCD treatment?
Outcomes vary based on severity and duration of symptoms. The goal isn’t necessarily to eliminate all symptoms, but to improve your ability to live well. Benefits of treatment may include:
- Fewer and less intense obsessions
- Greater ability to disengage from obsessive thought loops
- Reduced anxiety when resisting rituals
- Less urge to perform compulsions
- Increased calm and relaxation
- Better ability to complete daily tasks
- Freedom to pursue goals and values
- Improved relationships and overall life satisfaction
Why should you work with me for OCD or OCD-like symptoms?
- I’m trained in traditional OCD treatment approaches
- I’m trained in clinical hypnotherapy for mental health issues like OCD
- I’ve successfully treated many OCD cases
Ready for freedom? Start today.
You don’t have to keep living in fear, frustration, or overwhelm. Click below to schedule your free consultation and begin the journey toward reclaiming your freedom.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR). American Psychiatric Publishing.
Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. (n.d.). Anxiety course manual [PDF]. Beck Institute. https://beckinstitute.org/training/online-training/
Bersani, F. and Valeriani, G. (2012). Comparison of facial expression in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia using the facial action coding system: a preliminary study. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 537. https://doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s37174
Dar, S., Dar, M., Sheikh, S., Haq, I., Azad, A. U. D., Mushtaq, M., … & Wani, Z. A. (2021). Psychiatric comorbidities among covid-19 survivors in north india: a cross-sectional study. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 10(1), 309. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_119_21
Taylor, S. (2012). Molecular genetics of obsessive–compulsive disorder: a comprehensive meta-analysis of genetic association studies. Molecular Psychiatry, 18(7), 799-805. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2012.76
