Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: An In-Depth Guide to its Causes and Treatments

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition that affects millions worldwide. Despite its prevalence, OCD is often misunderstood, leading to misconceptions and inadequate support for those affected. This article aims to clarify what OCD is, what causes it, and also explore natural treatment options.

What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic condition characterised by intrusive thoughts, urges, or images (obsessions) that lead to repetitive behaviours or mental acts (compulsions). These obsessions and compulsions often cause significant distress and interfere with daily life.

Unlike simple habits or worries, OCD involves intense, uncontrollable cycles of obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions that consume a person’s time and energy.

What causes OCD?

Pinpointing the exact cause of OCD remains a challenge due to the lack of precise diagnostic tools. However, insights from hypnotherapy and nutrition consulting sessions at Radiant Flow suggest that OCD arises from both psychological and physiological factors. Psychological factors often involve physical and emotional abuse, while physiological factors stem from toxic heavy metal deposits in the brain. These findings align with the perspectives shared by the Medical Medium.

Psychological Stressor: Emotional trauma

According to the Medical Medium, emotional trauma, such as the death of a loved one, betrayal, or bullying, can create deep emotional wounds that may contribute to the development of OCD. Repeated exposure to these stressors overworks specific areas of the brain, leading to intense electrical activity and thus burnout. This activity result in the formation of calloused brain tissue, which disrupts the smooth passage of billions nerve impulses. These disruptions in the brain’s electrical activity lays the groundwork for OCD behaviours to emerge, such as repetitive handwashing or compulsive thoughts.

This brain burnout also creates hypersensitive neurons in affected areas. These neurons struggle to transmit impulses effectively, leading to repeated attempts that manifest as OCD symptoms. This process, driven by the brain’s efforts to protect itself from further harm, highlights the complex and little-understood relationship between emotional distress and OCD.

Physiological Stressor: Toxic heavy metal deposits

Toxic heavy metals, such as mercury, aluminium, and copper, are prevalent in the environment and can be inherited from previous generations. When these metals accumulate near critical areas of the brain, particularly the emotional centre or endocrine glands, they can interfere with the brain’s electrical impulses. These impulses, carrying vital information and aspects of one’s will, repeatedly collide with metal deposits, leading to the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms. The severity of OCD is often linked to the concentration of these toxic metals in the brain.

As the brain’s electrical impulses struggle to bypass these metallic obstructions, they may attempt new, less efficient pathways, potentially leading to further neurological complications. This repeated conflict between the impulses and metal deposits can manifest as OCD behaviours, such as compulsive checking or repetitive actions.

OCD symptoms

OCD manifests through a variety of symptoms that fall into two categories: obsessions and compulsions.

Obsession symptoms

Obsessions are persistent, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that cause significant anxiety or distress. Common obsessions include:

• Fear of contamination by germs or dirt
• Intense concern about order, symmetry, or precision
• Unwanted thoughts about harming oneself or others
• Doubts about having completed tasks correctly, such as locking doors or turning off appliances
• Disturbing sexual or violent thoughts

These thoughts are intrusive and often go against a person’s values or beliefs, leading to significant emotional turmoil.

Compulsion symptoms

Compulsions are repetitive behaviours or mental acts performed in response to an obsession or according to strict rules. The aim of these actions is to reduce anxiety or prevent a feared event, even if the connection between the compulsion and the feared outcome is irrational. Common compulsions include:

• Feeling like you need to repeat yourself because you’re worried the person you’re speaking to didn’t understand you properly
• Excessive cleaning or handwashing
• Repeatedly checking locks, appliances, or personal belongings
• Arranging objects in a specific order or symmetry
• Counting, tapping, or repeating certain words or phrases
• Turning light switches on and off repeatedly
• Hoarding items that have little or no value

These irrational behaviours are often time-consuming and can significantly impact daily functioning.

Types of OCD

OCD can present itself in various forms, often categorised based on the nature of the obsessions and compulsions. Some of the most common types include:

• Contamination: Characterised by a fear of germs, dirt, or illness, leading to excessive cleaning and avoidance of perceived sources of contamination.
• Checking: Involves the need to repeatedly check things, such as locks, stoves, or light switches, driven by the fear of harm or disaster.
• Symmetry, perfectionism, and order: Focuses on achieving perfect order or symmetry in objects, often accompanied by an intense discomfort if things are out of place.
• Intrusive thoughts: Consists of disturbing, unwanted thoughts, often of a violent, sexual, or blasphemous nature, that cause significant distress.
• Hoarding: Involves the persistent difficulty discarding items, even those of little value, due to the belief that they might be needed in the future.

OCPD vs OCD

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) and OCD may sound similar, but they are distinct conditions. OCPD is a personality disorder characterised by a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control.

Unlike OCD, individuals with OCPD often view their behaviours as appropriate and necessary, rather than distressing or unwanted. While both disorders involve a focus on order and control, OCD is driven by anxiety and unwanted thoughts, whereas OCPD stems from a rigid, inflexible personality trait.

Common traits of OCPD include:

• Focus excessively on details, rules, lists, and maintaining order and organisation.
• Pursue perfectionism to the point where it disrupts task completion.
• Dedicate excessive time to work and productivity, often neglecting hobbies and relationships.
• Struggle with chronic doubt and indecisiveness.
• Exercise extreme caution to avoid perceived failures.
• Maintain rigid and stubborn adherence to personal beliefs and methods.
• Show unwillingness to compromise.
• Refuse to discard broken or worthless items, regardless of their lack of sentimental value.
• Struggle to collaborate or delegate tasks unless others conform exactly to their methods.
• Frequently fixate on a single idea, task, or belief.
• View situations and choices in strictly black-and-white terms.
• Struggle to cope with criticism.
• Fixate on the flaws of others.

How is OCD diagnosed?

Symptoms of OCD appear first in childhood for about half of the people living with the condition. Because symptoms often begin gradually, they may not be very noticeable right away. As a matter of fact, many people live with the condition for years before seeking help.

The diagnostic criteria for OCD, as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), require the presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both, that are time-consuming (taking more than an hour per day) or cause significant distress or impairment in daily functioning.

Diagnosing OCD typically involves a comprehensive evaluation by a mental health professional. This includes a clinical interview, assessment of symptoms, and review of the individual’s medical and family history. They may also ask about medications you’re taking and any other mental health or medical symptoms you experience to help rule out medication side effects or other conditions.

Natural treatment options for OCD

A variety of natural methods can help address OCD:

• Hypnotherapy: For those with a history of trauma, hypnotherapy can prove highly effective. By accessing the subconscious mind, this technique revisits past traumas, neutralising the negative emotions that trigger OCD symptoms.
• Diet and nutrition: The Medical Medium highlights the importance of addressing OCD through dietary measures. A high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables supplies essential sugars to the brain, aiding in the healing of callouses. Supplements recommended by the Medical Medium can help eliminate toxic heavy metals that disrupt brain signals, while his juice blends may reduce obsessive and intrusive thoughts. More information can be found here.
• Mindfulness and meditation: Practising mindfulness helps individuals stay anchored in the present moment, lessening the influence of obsessive thoughts. This approach is particularly beneficial for those affected by trauma.
• Exercise: Regular physical activity enhances mood and reduces anxiety, offering relief from OCD symptoms.