OCD relapse? this is an effective way to reduce symptoms

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by obsessions or irritating, creeping thoughts, and strong urges, a ritual used to help overcome obsessions. Treatment for OCD often consists of drugs, psychotherapy or both.

But there are also a number of ways self-help that you can use in your daily life to help with OCD.

How do you deal with OCD symptoms?

Here are some helpful tips for you to deal with recurring OCD symptoms

1. Learn the OCD facts

Recognizing that OCD is a type of anxiety-related medical disorder is a big first step in understanding how to treat it. Research has shown that more than 2 percent of adults all over suffer from OCD at some point in their life. And symptoms usually appear around the age of 19, and can be very disruptive to life in a number of ways.

2. Understand what makes you anxious

Think about what situations make you feel anxious. Usually, you know that your fears are unrealistic but feel powerless to stop worrying about them. Pour all your worries and solve them one by one, noting whether the problem is realistic or not helpful. Make sure to include what happened before so you can begin to identify your anxiety triggers.

3. Challenge your interpretation of the situation

Think about your fears and ask yourself whether they are true or if you mistakenly thought these thoughts were real. The rest of you should consider whether your interpretation is accurate, what the downside of such a mindset is. When you challenge your fears, you can be more open to finding new thinking strategies.

4. Accept that your OCD is interfering with your life

Acceptance is always the first step to overcoming anxiety.

5. Write a journal

Write down unwanted and disturbing thoughts that make you anxious and be aware of what rituals or urges you are doing to try to counter those thoughts.

6. Try to slowly reduce your compulsive behavior

For example, if you have to check if the washing machine is off 10 times, allow yourself to check it only 8 times, then 6, 4, 2 times until you are able to check it only once.

If you have difficulty with OCD, consult a medical professional about other types of treatment and make an appointment with a psychologist to find a strategy. self-help additional for your specific situation.

7. Postpone doing your rituals

If you have to do a ritual immediately, for example, if you touch something you need to wash your hands immediately, try to delay washing your hands for 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, etc. Try to continue procrastinating between incidents and rituals until you feel comfortable not engaging in the urge.

Individuals who have OCD can feel uncomfortable with their daily life. Regardless of what you do, you can't seem to get away from it. But there is always help for you. With medication and strategy self-help , You can get rid of OCD symptoms and take back control of your life.