ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND OBSESSIONS
What motivates an obsessive-compulsive's behavior:
ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND OBSESSIONS
What motivates an obsessive-compulsive to perform such strange actions as
flushing a toilet in multiples of three? How does he feel when he has obsessive
thoughts and performs his compulsive rituals? The thoughts (the obsessive
component) are very disturbing. Typically, the individual suffers
considerable internal distress. A mild emergency reaction of the type described
in the previous chapter is often present; he feels foreboding and
dread. If the ritual is performed frequently and fast enough in response to
the thoughts, he can reduce or even ward off the ensuing anxiety. This is why
obsession-compulsion is put in the anxiety-inferred category. The obsessive
finds ways of dealing with the anxiety-by acting out his compulsions. But if
his compulsive ritual is prevented, he will first feel tension similar to what
we would feel if someone prevented us from answering a ringing telephone.
If the barrier persists, intense distress will sweep over the patient. Here, of
course, the anxiety will be felt. The individual's distress then can only be alleviated
by carrying out the compulsion, thereby neutralizing the anxiety
evoked by the obsessive thoughts and images. The next case illustrates this.
A middle-aged woman complained of an obsession concerning colors and
heat, "The main problem is colors. I cannot look at any of the colors that are in the
fire, red, orange or pink. "
She believed the colors blue, green, brown, white, and gray were neutral, and
she used these colors to "neutralize" the fiery colors. "If I happen to see a fire
color, I've got to immediately look at some other color to cancel it out. I've got to
look at a tree or flowers out on the grounds, something brown or white, to neutralize it."
She used to walk around with a small piece of green carpet in order to neutralize the effects
of any orange colors she might happen upon and see or imagine. She described
the traumatic feelings that images of colored stimuli (or hot stimuli) evoked:
It starts in my mind, and when I look at the color, I start to tremble, and I go hot
all over, just as though I'm on fire. I cannot stand up; I've got to sit down or else
I'll fall. I feel sick, and all I can say is that it is a traumatic feeling, that's the only
word I can think of to describe it. If it is the last color I look at before I get into
bed, I just won't sleep all night....
I try to fight it, and get into bed and tell myself it is ridiculous. I know it can't
hurt me physically, although it does harm me mentally. I lie there and this hot
feeling comes over me, and I start to tremble. If that happens, I have to get up,
put all my clothes on again and start once more, as though I am getting into bed.
Sometimes I have to do this four or five times before finally getting to sleep.
(Rachman and Hodgson, 1980)
Anxiety is in some way always there. And it is not the only negative affect
associated with obsessions. Depression bears an intimate relationship as
well. Obsessions and clinical depression appear frequently together; in fact,
from 10 to 35 percent of depressed patients may have obsessions as well
(Gittleson, 1966; Sakai, 1967; Beech and Vaughan, 1979). During their
periods of depression, the incidence of obsessions triples over the rate before
and after the depression (Videnbech, 1975). Not only do depressed patients
tend to develop obsessions, but obsessional patients are prone to develop
depression (Wilner, Reich, Robins, Fishman, and Van Doren, 1976; Teasdale
and Rezin, 1978).
Looking for treatment?
If you are ready to schedule a FREE Consultation...
I encourage you to access this website
for the treatment I recommend here:
http://www.TheLiberatorMethod.com/
ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND OBSESSIONS
What motivates an obsessive-compulsive to perform such strange actions as
flushing a toilet in multiples of three? How does he feel when he has obsessive
thoughts and performs his compulsive rituals? The thoughts (the obsessive
component) are very disturbing. Typically, the individual suffers
considerable internal distress. A mild emergency reaction of the type described
in the previous chapter is often present; he feels foreboding and
dread. If the ritual is performed frequently and fast enough in response to
the thoughts, he can reduce or even ward off the ensuing anxiety. This is why
obsession-compulsion is put in the anxiety-inferred category. The obsessive
finds ways of dealing with the anxiety-by acting out his compulsions. But if
his compulsive ritual is prevented, he will first feel tension similar to what
we would feel if someone prevented us from answering a ringing telephone.
If the barrier persists, intense distress will sweep over the patient. Here, of
course, the anxiety will be felt. The individual's distress then can only be alleviated
by carrying out the compulsion, thereby neutralizing the anxiety
evoked by the obsessive thoughts and images. The next case illustrates this.
A middle-aged woman complained of an obsession concerning colors and
heat, "The main problem is colors. I cannot look at any of the colors that are in the
fire, red, orange or pink. "
She believed the colors blue, green, brown, white, and gray were neutral, and
she used these colors to "neutralize" the fiery colors. "If I happen to see a fire
color, I've got to immediately look at some other color to cancel it out. I've got to
look at a tree or flowers out on the grounds, something brown or white, to neutralize it."
She used to walk around with a small piece of green carpet in order to neutralize the effects
of any orange colors she might happen upon and see or imagine. She described
the traumatic feelings that images of colored stimuli (or hot stimuli) evoked:
It starts in my mind, and when I look at the color, I start to tremble, and I go hot
all over, just as though I'm on fire. I cannot stand up; I've got to sit down or else
I'll fall. I feel sick, and all I can say is that it is a traumatic feeling, that's the only
word I can think of to describe it. If it is the last color I look at before I get into
bed, I just won't sleep all night....
I try to fight it, and get into bed and tell myself it is ridiculous. I know it can't
hurt me physically, although it does harm me mentally. I lie there and this hot
feeling comes over me, and I start to tremble. If that happens, I have to get up,
put all my clothes on again and start once more, as though I am getting into bed.
Sometimes I have to do this four or five times before finally getting to sleep.
(Rachman and Hodgson, 1980)
Anxiety is in some way always there. And it is not the only negative affect
associated with obsessions. Depression bears an intimate relationship as
well. Obsessions and clinical depression appear frequently together; in fact,
from 10 to 35 percent of depressed patients may have obsessions as well
(Gittleson, 1966; Sakai, 1967; Beech and Vaughan, 1979). During their
periods of depression, the incidence of obsessions triples over the rate before
and after the depression (Videnbech, 1975). Not only do depressed patients
tend to develop obsessions, but obsessional patients are prone to develop
depression (Wilner, Reich, Robins, Fishman, and Van Doren, 1976; Teasdale
and Rezin, 1978).
Looking for treatment?
If you are ready to schedule a FREE Consultation...
I encourage you to access this website
for the treatment I recommend here:
http://www.TheLiberatorMethod.com/