Each person we come across throughout our lives has specific personality characteristics, since no two people are the same. However, when someone has very specific routines and repetitive thoughts that he cannot shake, he usually catches our attention. If we try to change something about everything he does, it generates uncontrollable anxiety that does not stop, which obviously can cause great discomfort. Although we make repeated attempts to modify schemes, everything remains unchanged and rigid. These are some of the situations experienced by people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, a clinical condition that raises complex problems.
In this Psychology-Online article we will provide you with information about how to help a person with ocd.
Offer help
First of all, we must keep in mind that the behaviors typical of obsessive-compulsive disorder are not voluntary and the person does not have a conscious intention to carry out specific rituals and/or habits. Thus, it is important to offer help so that people who suffer from this pathology feel understood and build tools that provide them with well-being.
Among the most viable options we highlight psychological and pharmacological therapy.
Do not dismiss rituals or obsessions
Each ritual and obsession that is evident in OCD has specific reasons. Beyond the fact that some thoughts could have a crazy logic, these should not be dismissed, since if the importance of the rituals and obsessions inherent to the painting is downplayed, the person may feel hurt and misunderstood.
It should be noted that empathy is necessary to help people who suffer. In this article we explain it in depth.
Offer recreation spaces
Many people with serious compulsions and obsessions often dedicate their lives to them. Consequently, this means that they do not have their own recreation spaces to distract them from the discomforts they feel daily.
Given this, provide moments of leisure that generate momentary relief can be of great help.
Identify the consequences of actions
OCD has the particularity of being a clinical condition that can cause some physical and psychological damage from its rituals and obsessions. In some cases, people are not aware of the results that could occur because they follow rigid patterns of behavior.
For this reason, identify the consequences of actions It is essential so that the person can record what they do.
Talk about worries
A person affected by severe OCD may believe that they are to blame for an unlimited number of harmful situations in everyday life. At a general level, there is usually the belief that some member of the family could suffer if the rituals are not carried out in the agreed manner.
Although they may be inflexible modalities, the fact that talk about these concerns with someone It will be of great help, since it allows you to reflect and draw interesting conclusions.
Propose small changes
Patients diagnosed with OCD have serious difficulties in carrying out new actions, since this would imply leaving aside some pre-established habits.
However, propose small changes in daily life Conceiving pleasurable activities can be an idea that generates peace of mind because it is something different that could happen.
Relaxing foods
Food is closely related to the functioning of the body. Along the same lines, we could think that people with OCD live in a state of constant nervousness because they need to be fully confident in carrying out rituals and obsessions to move forward.
However, the tension this generates can be controlled eating relaxing foods such as, for example, green vegetables, nuts, dark chocolate, dairy products, among others. Likewise, some infusions can act on the body to produce relaxation.
Don’t avoid rituals
On many occasions, there is a tendency to interrupt rituals that a person carries out to help them. However, this leads to a counterproductive effect because the OCD patient usually becomes even more upset. Each action has a specific reason and should not be dismissed.
Rituals provide a structure that provides an identity to the person. Therefore, it is preferable to wait until it is possible to introduce some variation in the actions.
Recognize small achievements
Highlight behaviors that produce well-being It is extremely important for the person who has OCD since it generates well-being and tranquility for life. No matter how small the achievement may be for an outsider, it can represent a noticeable advance for the person.
For this very reason, it is worth recognize these modificationssince perception varies depending on the point of view adopted.
Set specific goals
This clinical picture stands out for the need to have organized sequences and controlled activities in which nothing is left to chance, so unpredictability is not an ally of people with OCD. Taking this into account, it is recommended set specific objectives that adapt to particular needs of those who are suffering.
This conception will allow the person to express themselves in each situation and contemplate their tastes. If you want to know more about this clinical condition, in the following article you will find more information about .
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- De la Cruz Villalobos, N. (2018). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Sinergia Medical Magazine, 3 (11), 14-18.
- Sanz Vellosillo, P., Fernández-Cuevas Vicario, A. (2015). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Medicine Magazine, 11 (84), 5008-5014.