Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by the appearance of rituals, which have the objective of calming the anxiety that the person experiences. There are different rituals, from washing your hands several times to returning to check that we have closed the door properly or arranging certain objects always following the same pattern.
Said this way, it does not seem like something too disabling, but the truth is that one ritual often leads to another and usually produces great discomfort in the person, which is why it is important to learn to get rid of these compulsions. How to do it? In addition to psychological therapy and OCD medications, you can put into practice some techniques that will help you manage your symptoms.
Techniques to control the compulsions typical of obsessive-compulsive disorder
1. Postpone the ritual
As its name indicates, this technique consists of postponing the performance of the ritual. When you feel the urgent need to do that ritual that helps you release tension, try to combat anxiety and postpone it. At first you will probably achieve a postponement of just a few minutes, but if you are persistent, over time you will be able to postpone the ritual more and more.
If you perform several rituals, it is important that you choose the simplest one, the one that is easiest for you to postpone. This way you will be able to achieve your goal more easily and you will feel more motivated to apply this technique to the most complex rituals.
When you manage to postpone the ritual for at least 30 minutes, reflect on the fact that nothing bad has happened because you did not perform the ritual. The only thing that has happened is that you have felt more anxiety but this is something you can control without the need to resort to a ritual.
To the same extent that you manage to postpone the ritual for longer and longer, you will realize that anxiety is something that can be controlled and confidence in your abilities will increase. Of course, while you let time pass, do something interesting to distract yourself because the more you try to count the minutes, the more anxiety you will experience.
2. Change some aspect of the ritual
Compulsive behaviors have often become habits, they are tasks that you perform automatically, without thinking too much. However, if you change the way you carry out that ritual, you will be breaking the vicious circle created by habit and forcing yourself to reflect on what you are doing.
In reality, it is not a big change but rather small transformations. For example, if you have the habit of washing your hands 10 times, do it only 8, change the soap you normally use or do it with your eyes closed. If you usually put objects in a row, change their arrangement and if you follow an order before leaving the house to make sure all doors and windows are closed, reverse that sequence and start at the end.
With this technique you will continue doing the ritual and you will feel a relief from the tension but at the same time you will begin to have some control over these behaviors and little by little the compulsion will disappear.
3. Add a consequence to the ritual
Every time you give in to the compulsion, add a consequence to the ritual. For example, when you wash your hands, force yourself to do something you don’t particularly enjoy, like ironing clothes or organizing a bookshelf. In reality, it can be any activity, as long as it takes a little time and is not a very pleasant task.
When a connection is created in your mind between the ritual and that unpleasant activity, the next time the compulsion fights to take control, you will think about the task you have to do next and the impulse will weaken.
How to apply these techniques to control compulsions?
Of course, you don’t have to apply these techniques to control compulsions at the same time, especially if you notice that they generate a lot of anxiety. You can start by practicing one and, once you master it, start with the next.
Obviously, for these strategies to be truly effective, you must also work with the thoughts that give rise to obsessive-compulsive disorder.
