Treating ocd

By understanding what it is first. I've been reflecting on this topic and have developed a theory about the root cause of OCD that I find logical and that has resonated with others. I like to think of our brain as a house with a limited-capacity attic, which represents our memory storage. To function efficiently, our brain needs to regularly clear out old, unused memories to make room for new ones, as our brains constantly recording everything thing around us. This process is akin to having a mental "maid" whose job is to clean and organize the attic. When the attic gets full, the mental maid pulls out "dusty" memory boxes and presents them to us. We are meant to quickly decide whether to keep or discard the contents, allowing the box to be reused for new memories. For most people, this process happens seamlessly, with little emotional attachment to old memories. For individuals with OCD, this process becomes complicated. When presented with a memory box, instead of making a quick decision, they begin to ruminate on the contents. These contents often relate to deeply important themes like health, family, or faith. The hesitation to discard these memories signals the brain to keep them, even as new memories need storage. This creates a backlog of memory boxes, all demanding attention. As the backlog grows, the brain's functioning is threatened by the lack of available memory space. In response, the mental maid pushes these memory boxes to the forefront more frequently and urgently. This increased urgency can manifest as intrusive thoughts or compulsions, and the cycle of pain continues, potentially worsening over time. It's important to note that this process isn't under our conscious control. It's an inborn mechanism in our brain that's meant to keep us functioning optimally. In OCD, this helpful process becomes overactive, leading to distress and dysfunction. This theory aims to provide a different perspective on OCD, viewing it as a malfunction of a normally beneficial brain process rather than as a purely negative condition. I hope this adds more context to the understanding of OCD and encourages further discussion on this complex topic.

In a nutshell shell to beat OCD is to live in a way that messages our brain is sending us that causes the anxiety is irrelevant. OCD can only do one thing and that is create doubt. No matter the topic that is what ocd does. We can handle uncertainty in all different areas of life, but ocd goes after what is important to us and we can’t handle uncertainty in that area or areas. So with ocd we do ERP - Exposure and Response Prevention. We expose ourselves to what causes the anxiety and we don’t do the compulsion to get rid of the anxiety. We get on with our day and let the anxiety go down on its own. That is how we teach our brain that the messages it is sending us are irrelevant. For example with “hit and run” ocd. We think I hit a bump did I just hit someone with my car? OCD say go back and check just to make sure you didn’t. That is when we do ERP and think “Yep. I hit someone with my car. They are flipping around on the road in pain”. We don’t go back and check. After doing that again and again and again etc. we train our brain that that thought is irrelevant. It can be difficult but it is well worth the effort. OCD is treatable. I’ve had ocd since my 20’s not knowing what it was and it skyrocketed 3 years ago. That is when I started getting counseling with NOCD and it had been a huge help.