"How Do I Stop This Cycle?" - Fighting OCD Part 1

A dear woman emailed me of being battered by OCD since childhood.  She has wrestled with the OCD bully over many issues, including her faith.  Fears and doubts continue to attack her to the point of literal sickness. Exhausted she asks, “How do I stop this cycle?” 

I answered her email something like this, addressing very practical tools I learned under the guidance of my counselor: 

Learning to stop and then replace our thoughts is key to breaking the cycle. Consider these truths about claiming control of our thoughts: 

(1)   "… be transformed by the renewing of your mind."  (Romans 12:2)

(2)   "… take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor. 10:5)

(3)  "…whatever is true, [noble, and right] … think about such things." (Phil. 4:8)

In chapter seven of The Obsessive-Compulsive Trap, Dr. Mark Crawford provides great motivation and practical steps to renew our minds from the damage done by OCD.  In particular, his strategy known as "the Four R's" was very effective in training me to take every thought captive and to replace OCD thoughts with what is "true, noble, and right."  This chapter was instrumental in helping me break free of OCD thought cycles that used to dominate my life.  

Four R's to Defeat OCD (Crawford, p.128):

(1) Recognize

(2) Resist

(3) Replace

(4) Re-direct

I still use this strategy of the Four R's to fight OCD thoughts that come.  Though the strategy seems simple in concept, it was very difficult for me to consistently apply it when I was dealing with severe OCD. Consequently, I highly recommend reading this chapter of Dr. Crawford's book, because he includes very helpful details about how to slowly and specifically implement this technique.  As Dr. Crawford writes, "It is a process that takes time, but it is ultimately effective in treating OCD" (p. 129).  

I also highly recommend a support network and professional counseling. Furthermore, I think it is wise to be open to a professional doctor's guidance regarding the possibility of medication "as an adjunct to be used along with non-pharmacological treatments" such as the Four R's (p. 146).  Just as someone with diabetes may wisely take insulin along with working on diet and exercise changes, someone with OCD may wisely take medication to treat the legitimate needs of the physical brain in addition to doing the very important cognitive-behavioral work of the Four R's.