Tag Archives: obsessions

Maximizing Emotional Well Being

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Mental Health Concerns Compromise Emotional Well Being

The subject of mental health isn’t always easy to address. Social stigmas, prejudices and pressures create ignorance. Experts disagree on conflicting data and interpretations of studies. The medias need to make stories news worthy often has them sensationalizing data inaccurately. Ad agencies spin misleading messages, promising a magic pill.

Those suffering from prolonged anxieties, obsessions or negative thought processes just want their overwhelm and distress to stop. They don’t want to have to sift through endless piles of information. More information doesn’t stop suffering; the symptoms still seem out of control. With irrational thought patterns, logic in and of itself will not help people make the changes they need.

Minor issues or temporary set-backs are typically easy to work through. But there can be a fine line between what one person defines as minor and what another feels is overwhelming. Prolonged or serious emotional or mental health challenges are not to be taken lightly. When someone is stuck in a disruptive mind set, outside help is needed. Trained professionals can assist clients through emotional discomforts and mental chaos, help untangle inner conflicts and get the person to create a sense of inner balance.

Increase Mental and Emotional Wellness

When seeking intervention, clients should expect their well being will improve. Pick an approach you can be comfortable with. Some people prefer face to face interactions, others group sessions and many prefer releasing  unwanted thoughts, obsessions or negative emotions via phone consultations. It’s all a matter of choice

 Overcome OCD and Anxiety Disorders

Those suffering from OCD may find it difficult to pursue outside help. It can be embarrassing to talk about and they don’t really want to deal with it head on. It’s one of the reasons medication has become the primary form of intervention. While it can be a useful treatment, it is not the only approach.

A majority of those suffering from OCD or anxiety can take control of their own well being when they shift how they process emotions, become more mindful in their perspectives, learn to minimize sensitivities and find better ways of dealing with adversity and stress.

Those most open to seeking help and making changes in themselves, will have the greatest the ability to influence their states of mind and emotional well being. Those hesitant are often skeptical. They have their reasons and they are usually based on incomplete or misunderstood data, even when it is well researched.

For those not satisfied with the quality of their life, luckily things can change. For those who would like to get past old problems without medication, it is possible

Nothing in life is set in stone, including how you feel or respond to the world. If you want something to change, you have to take the first step. Waiting for things to change on their own can be a difficult journey to take. This includes those who would like to:

Every problem offers a solution, if you know where to look, if you know how to approach it, if you are willing to get out of your comfort zone and willing to get out of preset ideas of how things have to be.

Meditation for OCD

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Can Meditation Help Combat OCD

Meditation has a bad rap. It’s often associated with new age mumbo jumbo and mysticism, people who eat granola bars and drink wheat grass juice. The practice of meditation even conflicts with certain Christian beliefs. All this is unfortunate, because meditation has nothing to do with any of these

Meditation is a legitimate form of relaxing the mind and body. It is a discipline of focusing breathe and thought to slow down. While many are put off by anything categorized as a form of alternative healing, it can be a helpful tool to achieve useful states of mind for those dealing with OCD and anxiety. And if there is one thing a racing mind or anxious body can use, is extra relaxation.

Like any other disipline, in order for it to be effective, meditation will take practice. Those with OCD are often impulsive and want immediate results, so a good place to start is by asking the following question

Why Master the Art of Meditation?

Some of the many benefits include increased peacefulness and calmer mind set, additional energy, a better relationship with oneself and life, reduced stress and greater stability in dealing with the unexpected. Another reason to practice meditation, is it can help minimize impulsiveness.

Meditation can be very useful for those dealing with pain management, emotional issues, sleep problems, stress and anxiety disorders, which OCD is classified as.

Those with OCD tend to be adept at rituals. Practicing meditation can also be a ritual, but one full of productive results. The process doesn’t need to be difficult and there is no one right way of doing. You follow a format, one you can alter to satisfy your own particular needs. Then practice and give it a chance.

The Process of Meditation:

  • Start by finding a place to sit, a comfortable place. Do not lie down; you want to relax, not fall asleep. Make sure to keep you back as straight as possible. Many associate relaxation and slouching as one and the same. As with all anxiety disorders you want self support and it starts with your body.
  • For some, mild distractions, such as candles, music, incense, padded pillows can be helpful, but in the beginning there is no need to incorporate these accessories. Once you start getting the knack for relaxing, then these items can add to creating an ambiance conducive to the meditative state.
  • There is no right amount of time to start with. If sitting still for 2 minutes is difficult, then 90 seconds at a time may be your starting point. First get used to doing the process and the start increasing the time. Two short doable meditative sessions in the day are better than trying to do a prolonged session. Since you do not want to focus on a clock or time, get a timer, otherwise your focus will be in the wrong place.
  • Clear your mind. Close your eyes or if you choose, pick a single object in the room to concentrate on. The singularity of focus is one of the principles in unifying scattered, conflicted and jumbled ideas
  • Focus on your breath. Breathing is life and if this is as far as you get in the process, you are already ahead of the game. You don’t have to think about breathing, but it can be useful to put your focus there. Pay attention to how you inhale, make it comfortable, breath in slowly, don’t gasp or force the air in. Take a small pause and then gently exhale, almost let the air leak out. The first times you meditate, all you need to do is practice focusing on your breathe.
  • As you focus on your breathe, your mind may begin to wonder, you may have thoughts about whether or not you are doing this right (don’t worry, you can’t meditate incorrectly, anymore than you can think incorrectly, it’s a matter of finding support for yourself). If you get unwanted thoughts, come back to focusing on your breathing. The process of meditation is meant to clear the mind and release thoughts, so just keeping come back to your breath..

Special Considerations When Using Meditation for OCD

Meditation can calm racing thoughts and negative emotions. If impulsive urges interfere, start small. Those always needing to be distracted or busy may find 5 minutes of sitting still unbearable, at least in the beginning. Meditating for a minute or two is a great place to start. Delaying the need to immediately give into impulses for longer and longer time periods also helps transfer the skill into other areas of the persons life. You start by doing the best you can, not by trying to do it right.

Those with OCD want peace of mind, but they are often too impatient to take the journey to get there. Professional help can even out the rough stops. At Designed Thinking we will often talk to our clients about commitment to change, because many suffering through the process of obsessions, at the emotional level are more committed to the avoidance of the unknown or discomfort. Luckily with professional guidance, this too can be overcome.

Using meditation for OCD should be viewed as a life style, a habit one desires to incorporate into their life. Meditation however is not a cure for OCD even though it can help silence the mind. Meditation for OCD should be used in conjunction with other types of behavioral, cognitive, emotional or mental therapies and training.

If you are not in therapy yet, there is no reason to delay trying meditation. It cannot hurt and it is a proactive means of taking charge of your own focus, of your own mental and emotional states. The more you practice, the longer you will be able to meditate, meaning you begin to achieve greater levels of self control.

OCD can be a complex and deeply challenging process for some to overcome, so while you are weighing out the options to seek assistance, take some action for yourself. You can use all the tools you need to get your life on track and sometimes you need to more than one approach. So go ahead, close your eyes and let yourself let go and feel differently about yourself.