Hypnotherapy for OCD: What is It? How Can it Help?

What is OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder in which people have repeated and unwelcome feelings, images, thoughts, or sensations (obsessions). Often the person carries out the behaviors to get rid of the obsessive thoughts and feels better for a short time. But the obsessions return, and the cycle begins again.

A person with OCD may be obsessed with dirt or germs and washes their hands repeatedly. A person with OCD may be filled with doubts, such as whether they turned off the oven before leaving the house. They might drive back to check it five, six, seven times, or more. These are just a few examples of obsessions and compulsions.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, can take the shine out of life. It can lead you to isolate yourself and constantly think about terrible things. It can keep you from getting the restful sleep you need and even prevent you from being able to eat enough food. Thankfully there are treatment methods that can help to manage this debilitating illness! In this article, we will explore what OCD is and different ways to manage it. We will also explore how hypnotherapy for OCD can help people with this illness.

How Can Hypnotherapy for OCD Help?

People with OCD have unwanted and intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses called obsessions that repeatedly enter their minds. They also have unwanted feelings of angst that keep on intruding into their lives. The series of worrisome thoughts and feelings lead to behaviors they feel the need to do repeatedly called compulsions.

Compulsions are often a way of trying to neutralize or gain control over the obsessions. For example, in the previous example, someone suffering from an obsession with contamination may wash their hands excessively or avoid touching door handles. Unfortunately, the compulsions take up a lot of time and get in the way of leading an everyday life.

People with OCD may try to hide their symptoms from others because they feel embarrassed. Unfortunately, the shame can make it hard to get help. Still, it is essential to remember that OCD is a handicapping condition that can be treated effectively with hypnosis and hypnotherapy.

Hypnotherapy for OCD can help teach how to manage obsessions and compulsions more effectively. Relaxation techniques can help reduce anxiety levels, and proper hypnotic techniques can help change negative thinking patterns. Hypnotherapy can also be used to target specific obsessions and compulsions directly.

If you are struggling with OCD and cannot access professional help, you can use a self-hypnosis app created by an experienced hypnotherapist.

How Does Hypnosis for OCD Work?

There are a lot of different methods that people use to manage their OCD, but one that is often overlooked is hypnosis. Hypnosis for OCD can be an extremely effective tool in managing the disorder.

So how does hypnosis work? Essentially, hypnosis allows you to partner with your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind controls your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It can create positive emotions in the same way it can arouse angst and fears based on a map of the world built over decades.

One of the most common causes of OCD is anxiety. Anxiety can stem from various things, including stress, genetics, and even certain medical conditions. We cannot emphasize enough how relieving anxiety is essential. Prolonged anxiety can lead to different mental and physical health problems.

Hypnosis for OCD can help you control your anxiety by teaching you how to relax and let go of your fears. Once you reframe the situations that triggered fear, your anxiety can dissipate, as do OCD symptoms.

The Other Benefits of OCD Hypnotherapy

There are many other benefits of OCD hypnotherapy that are often overlooked. One of them is that it can help you develop a more positive outlook on life. If you have been suffering from OCD for a long time, your view of the world has likely become very negative. By focusing on your problems and trying to control your OCD symptoms, you may not have had the chance to see the good things in life.

OCD therapy can help you step back from “problems” and see the world more positively. It can also help you develop better coping skills to deal with your OCD symptoms more effectively. In addition, OCD hypnosis therapy can also help you build up your self-confidence and feel better about yourself.

01. Managing Obsessions

Hypnotherapy allows faster cognitive structuring, ego-strengthening, exposure testing, and reality testing, making it a great candidate for OCD therapy.

According to researchers, about 30 to 60% of OCD patients are unresponsive to psychotherapy. This realization led many researchers to widen the range of therapeutic approaches and improve the quality of care by adding hypnosis to the treatment.

A 1991 Australian case study on a single subject reported the successful utilization of hypnotherapy with cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication. A 26-year-old patient with a 5-year fear of contamination also learned to practice self-hypnosis. After six hypnosis sessions, she successfully overcame her fear of contracting AIDS. At a 2-month follow-up, she had maintained her progress and had not experienced any OCD symptoms

02. Controlling Compulsions

One of the most effective ways to control compulsions is through hypnotherapy for OCD. Hypnotherapy can help you to reframe your thoughts and break the cycle of OCD. One well-known application is hypnosis for trichotillomania. Chronic self-directed hair pulling can have devastating effects on the self-confidence of the people suffering from this disorder.

OCD sufferers might need to do something multiple times until it is “right.” And the definition of what is right might be challenging to explain or even verbalize. Other examples of compulsion include:

Touching something a set number of times
Repeating some sentences
Washing body, hands, or other objects
Hiding or avoiding objects that you could use to hurt others or yourself
Re-organizing something multiple times in a specific way.

Through hypnotherapy for OCD, you can learn how to control your thoughts and responses to situations that might trigger your OCD.

03. Better Habits

If you are living with OCD, you know that the symptoms can be debilitating and make you neglect your well-being. In addition to reducing the symptoms of OCD, hypnotherapy can be an effective tool for adopting better lifestyle habits.

Getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and eating a healthy diet consistently help. These self-care activities will help reduce stress and improve your overall well-being. Hypnosis can become your ally if you suffer from bad habits that prevent you from achieving these goals. For example, hypnotherapy can help you sleep better and develop a healthier relationship with food. Getting enough sleep increases your resilience to stress. And you can continue seeing your counselor or therapist while enjoying audio-based self hypnosis for OCD.

04. Increasing Life Satisfaction

If you suffer from OCD, you know that the condition can significantly impact your life. Seeing the angst go away is a significant win. But it is only when we start experiencing peace that we realize that negative thought patterns tend to creep into other domains of our daily lives. They may limit our potential at work or our ability to create strong bonds. You can start feeling more empowered by challenging negative thoughts and regain motivation.

With a hypnosis for OCD audio, you can also learn self-hypnosis techniques that you can use at home to help keep your OCD under control. A self-hypnosis app with such audios is much more than a self-management tool. It teaches you methods that stay with you. With regular practice, hypnotherapy can provide lasting relief from the symptoms of OCD and help increase your overall satisfaction with life.

Finally, hypnotherapy for OCD can effectively address the root cause of the issue so that you don’t have to challenge your thoughts anymore. They tend to become kinder on their own, making you feel more fulfilled.

05. Decreasing Restlessness and Anxiety

Hypnosis is well known to reduce anxiety. A 2019 meta-analysis showed that those who received hypnosis treatment experienced a significant reduction in anxiety. The same study also focused on the benefits at follow-up and noticed that the anxiety reduction persisted.

Hypnosis for OCD incorporates anxiety-reducing techniques that can help you achieve relief and promote a state of relaxation.

Hypnotherapy for OCD: The Tool You Need to Consider

Hypnosis for OCD can provide great relief. It can help with reducing anxiety and increasing your quality of life. Contact us today or download the UpNow self-hypnosis app to enjoy the benefits of hypnotherapy.