4 OCD Rituals Explored
The variety of obsessive-compulsive rituals and
thoughts is practically unlimited, but investigators have identified four broad types of preoccupations:
(1) Checking, (2) Cleaning (3) Slowness and
(4) Doubting-conscientiousness, the following statements illustrate
each type.
CHECKING
• I frequently have to check things (gas or water taps,
doors) several times.
CLEANING
• I avoid using public telephones because of possible
contamination.
SLOWNESS
• I am often late because I can't seem to get through
everything on time.
DOUBTING-CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
• Even when I do something very carefully, I often feel
that it is not quite right.
Most of us have had similar feelings. One study
compared the preoccupying thoughts of clinically diagnosed
obsessives with those of normal individuals. Although
the content of the two groups' thoughts showed
many similarities, the clinical group's obsessions occurred
more frequently, lasted longer, were more intense,
and disrupted their lives more than those of the
control group (Rachman and de Silva, 1998).
When the compulsive rituals or obsessive thoughts
begin to interfere with important routines of daily life,
they become significant problems that require professional
attention. Their bases frequently are not well understood,
but because all of us have had some persistent
preoccupations with particular acts and thoughts, their
interfering effects can easily be appreciated.
thoughts is practically unlimited, but investigators have identified four broad types of preoccupations:
(1) Checking, (2) Cleaning (3) Slowness and
(4) Doubting-conscientiousness, the following statements illustrate
each type.
CHECKING
• I frequently have to check things (gas or water taps,
doors) several times.
CLEANING
• I avoid using public telephones because of possible
contamination.
SLOWNESS
• I am often late because I can't seem to get through
everything on time.
DOUBTING-CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
• Even when I do something very carefully, I often feel
that it is not quite right.
Most of us have had similar feelings. One study
compared the preoccupying thoughts of clinically diagnosed
obsessives with those of normal individuals. Although
the content of the two groups' thoughts showed
many similarities, the clinical group's obsessions occurred
more frequently, lasted longer, were more intense,
and disrupted their lives more than those of the
control group (Rachman and de Silva, 1998).
When the compulsive rituals or obsessive thoughts
begin to interfere with important routines of daily life,
they become significant problems that require professional
attention. Their bases frequently are not well understood,
but because all of us have had some persistent
preoccupations with particular acts and thoughts, their
interfering effects can easily be appreciated.
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I encourage you to access this website for OCD and codependency treatment here: http://www.TheLiberatorMethod.com/