The OCD Cycle and How to Jump Off of It
Understanding and recognizing the OCD cycle is a crucial step in your healing journey. While each person experiences different stages of the cycle for varying lengths of time, everyone goes through the same process.
The cycle begins with the Obsession stage, where your mind becomes fixated on a specific thought or topic. These thoughts can be egodystonic (thoughts that clash with your character) or egosyntonic (thoughts that align with your character and values). More on this topic can be found in our related post. Obsessions can be triggered by an external stressor or occur seemingly out of nowhere.
Next comes the Anxiety stage, where distress and discomfort take hold. The anxiety created by obsessive thoughts only reinforces them. Physically, anxiety signals alarm bells, intensifying the need to reduce the discomfort, prompting us to search for ways to manage it.
Compulsions are the behaviors or mental acts we engage in to relieve anxiety. These are often excessive and may be irrationally connected to the obsessive thought. For instance, someone may obsess over ensuring their children’s safety at school, and their compulsion might be knocking on the doorframe three times after their kids leave for school. While the knocking has no real impact on safety, it temporarily reduces anxiety.
This leads to the Relief stage, where there’s a brief sense of calm. However, this relief is temporary, and the OCD cycle repeats. When obsessive thoughts resurface, the cycle continues. For those with OCD, it’s important to understand that obsessive thoughts may persist even with treatment. However, the goal of treatment is not to eliminate these thoughts but to help you manage them and learn not to respond to them.
Treatment also helps you build the tolerance to sit with the discomfort of anxiety, allowing you to break the cycle. The key to reducing obsessive thoughts is not acting on compulsions. If you’re ready to stop the cycle and start managing your OCD, reach out today to connect with a professional.