How tapping helps to get rid of OCD? What is OCD and what does OCD mean?
OCD, which stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is one of the most common anxiety
disorders affecting the mental health of people throughout the world. OCD is characterized by
uncontrollable thoughts, known as obsessions, and desires to complete specific actions, known
as compulsions. If you have OCD, you may experience obsessions, compulsions or both.
Everyone has little quirks, but if you can’t function normally and your life is constantly
interrupted by obsessive thoughts, or if neglecting to complete a compulsive action causes you
to feel overwhelming anxiety, you may need treatment for OCD.
Obsessions
Obsessions are intrusive thoughts, impulses or images that race through one’s mind, repeatedly
occurring over and over again. These thoughts are accompanied by disturbing feelings like fear,
disgust or doubt. Obsessions are irrational, and they’re not based on everyday worries such as
money or job performance. For instance, someone suffering from OCD might have an obsessive
fear of being contaminated with germs despite the reality that he’s perfectly clean and well
kempt. The obsession is so pervasive that he washes his hands or body to the point that they
become raw and red. To contrast, someone who does not suffer from OCD may worry about
losing his job. This type of worry is based in reality: his company has recently been laying
workers off. But he doesn’t obsess and dwell on the worry, and he will deal with it accordingly.
Compulsions
Compulsions are very specific acts often carried out according to a precise set of rules. These
actions are performed over and over again in an attempt to reduce or control obsessive
thoughts. A person with an obsessive fear of being robbed may check each door and window
lock in his house 3 times each before going to sleep. A person with an obsession with symmetry
may repeatedly rearrange household belongings until they’re “just right”. A person with an
obsession with dirt or germs may create a system of washing and drying his hands 10 times in a
row after a perceived “contamination”. Unlike compulsive drinking or gambling, though, OCD
compulsions are not pleasurable. Rather, these rituals are performed to obtain short-term relief
from obsessive thoughts and are never sufficient at once-and-for-all ending the anxiety
associated with the obsession.
If you think that you may be suffering from OCD, you may feel unusual or alone, as if you’re the
only one who could possibly be experiencing such disruptive, unsettling thoughts. But it is
important to remember that it is much more common than you would think; anyone can suffer
from OCD. In fact, up to 2 in every 100 people have suffered with OCD at some point in their life.
Some famous people, such as celebrities and sports personalities, have even spoken out about
their OCD.
Using EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) for OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) can be
one of many effective treatments available.
How does it work?
Put simply, tapping is a therapy that stimulates specific power points on the surface of the skin.
The theory is that tapping helps you to de-stress by rapidly altering neutral pathways und
unblocking meridians-the channels along which, according to traditional Chinese medicine,
energy is believed to flow.
Tapping on the meridian points while concentrating on accepting and resolving negative
emotion will access your body’s energy restoring it to a balanced state. (See picture for the
points).
EFT often provides surprising results for OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). The benefits are
two fold: First, just performing the mechanical application of EFT usually collapses the
immediate need to perform the behaviour. This is a big help, but is usually temporary.
However, in a few cases this simple procedure also collapses the entire compulsive behaviour.
Second, EFT's long term successes are due to its ability to address the true cause of most
compulsions ... namely ... the need to "tranquilize" anxiety caused by unresolved emotional
issues. Until one's underlying anger, fear, guilt, trauma, etc. are dissipated, the compulsive
behaviour will remain. EFT is ideally designed to collapse these issues (that is what it does best)
and, properly applied, the need to tranquilize disappears. And with it goes the compulsion. It
should be evident that compulsions, addictions, eating disorders and weight issues have similar
emotional causes.
EFT blends perfectly with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy because it helps bring up the issues
faster and creates more (and deeper) Cognitive Shifts behind the scenes. EFT works like
hypnotherapy but adds extra power to the process because it integrates the body's subtle
energies. EFT works like talk therapy with the advantage that it allows us to get to the issues
faster and resolve them more thoroughly. Finally, EFT works better than other drugs, because it
addresses the root cause of OCD and anxiety disorders.
Please note: EFT for OCD is not a quick fix. The techniques need to be applied several times over
a period of time, depending on the severity. Also, if you are not familiar enough with EFT and
you have severe OCD, you should consider getting help from a EFT professional.
Article by Lauren Rosenberg
Acupressure (EFT) Practitioner (North West London)
www.feelinghealthy.weebly.com