How To Deal With Obsessions

Having obsessive-compulsive disorder is actually very common. As humans, we are creatures who think all the time. We therefore have to normalize the fact that we tend to have a multitude of random thoughts. The problem arises when the mind becomes obsessed and limits our daily function. If this worries you, you can learn how to deal with obsessions in this article.

This is how you can deal with obsessions

This situation usually occurs because a person puts too much value or emphasis on some specific thoughts. As a result, thinking goes from being a simple mental event to becoming a psychological problem.

There are big differences in how we relate to our cognitive events. Some people are able to avoid being obsessed with their thoughts and see them instead of what they are without giving them too much weight or meaning.

On the other hand, some people identify with their thoughts. Often these people share traits such as perfectionism and a sense of responsibility. Therefore, they end up relating to, and eventually looking at their own thoughts as if they were real situations. Thoughts, however, are often creations in your mind and not the same as reality.

One of the most common treatment methods for this condition is to learn to deal with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Logically, we have to learn new ways of approaching, interacting, and relating to our thoughts. The ultimate goal is not to let the mind control our lives.

To think or not to think? That’s the question

Obsessive thoughts can be extremely annoying. Remember all the times this summer’s hit was stuck in your head and you could not get it out. The more you try not to listen and hum to it, the more the song forces itself into your life.

With obsessions, the same kind of thing happens. The idea of ​​”not thinking” ironically has a rebound effect that makes the thought stronger. The key is therefore to learn to live with your thoughts, look at them as if you were a spectator to your mental processes.

However, this exercise is not simple. We have already established that obsessions are very unpleasant and it is natural to try to eliminate them from the mind to get rid of the anxiety that follows. This is where obsessions come into play: almost unconscious actions that neutralize the discomfort and make the obsession appear.

In the short term it may seem like it works, but in the long run the “solution” will be the real problem. We become dependent on these deposits and use them to eliminate obsessions, which in turn are reinforced.

Strategies for dealing with obsessions

The idea is not to fall into an obsession as a means of neutralizing thoughts or of avoiding thinking. Therefore, the strategies that have worked best to deal with obsessions are the following:

Cognitive disarmament

To cognitively disarm our mental events means to be familiar with how to separate thoughts from reality and you as a person. That is, it is necessary to acknowledge that you are not your mind. You are so much more than your mind. On the other hand, it is also necessary to realize that having thoughts does not mean that they are reality.

Thoughts are nothing more than that: psychological content, images and perceptions. However, they are not objective and verifiable realities. Therefore, it does not make sense to act on ideas that do not correspond to reality.

It is much more functional to treat the mind as devices you do not like and watch them pass. You can even greet them and think about them until the intensity begins to decrease.

To deal with obsessions, you should stop putting so much emphasis on them

You do not have to emphasize a thought just because you think it. We have already said that thinking is explicitly human, just like dreaming.

We all have thoughts that we would be ashamed to recognize or tell about. However, this does not mean that they are important or that they define us in any way. It is therefore good to reduce the value we give to thinking.

Embrace your thoughts

It is not necessary to run away from our thoughts, but we must try to embrace them as a mental exercise. Embracing our demons means that we are open to the experience of having them nearby even if we do not like them.

Avoid coercion

This part is important. For every obsession we have, we tell our thoughts that these obsessions are right. That is, we carry out a real action based on a mental idea.

Your reality and your mind are two different worlds that do not necessarily have much in common. It is therefore necessary to make an effort to avoid coercive actions so that you do not feed your obsessive thoughts.

Are you trying to figure out how to deal with obsessions?

As you have hopefully learned, there are several strategies for doing this as well as preventing thoughts from taking over your life. However, it is a good idea to go to a psychologist for extra support and guidance.