Obsessions and Compulsions Video
Home > Obsessive / Compulsive?
In this ‘Obsessions and Compulsions’ video, Mark discusses the difference between a compulsion and an obsession - that an obsession is generally the thought that drives the compulsive action. So, for example, if you are obsessed by the idea that your house is dirty, you may follow compulsive cleaning behaviour patterns. He talks about the superstitious element to many obsessive / compulsive conditions. So a person with OCD often feels they have to follow the compulsive behaviour to prevent some disaster happening. Mark tells us why it is the emotion behind the obsession that is important, rather than the thought itself. And he also conveys why the advice to ‘try not to think about it’ is possibly the worse advice you can give to someone with OCD as it can actually make things worse. Mark talks about a case study of treating a woman with obsessive thoughts about her health - hypochondria. He also discusses how it is important to help someone suffering from OCD to meet their emotional needs in a healthy way which will protect them against developing a obsessive condition again.
