Christine's Hints and Tips

I will begin by sharing with you the things that I have found during my life-long struggle with my OCD that have either helped in some way my ability to cope with this incapacitating and mind consuming illness or have provided a respite from its tormenting insistence. Often I think to myself that all I need is peace and quiet, time to reflect and time to think and relax both mentally and physically. However contrary to what most of us think this is not always the case. Concerning peace through silence: this in any case is virtually impossible to find nowadays amidst the clamour of life. As I sit here now I am subjected to the endless roar of traffic as it tears past my house or the hum of machinery as a neighbour cuts his lawn. Relaxation both mentally, if it is possible, and physically are fine for short respites but too long with the mind unfocused can induce an increase in obsessional thinking. The exception of course being formal relaxation techniques and meditation which I will explain later have some benefit. Somehow we have to find some peace within and often this can be found through distraction with either mental or physical activity, the combination of the two bringing the most benefit. Contrary to popular belief inactivity is a bane to mental well being. And in my own personal experience this is most certainly the case. Activity and mental stimulation such as the pursuit of education for instance are indeed a balm to anxious fearful thoughts and soul-destroying obsessions. The mind needs to be active and absorbed. However this only applies to the right kind of activity: Positive activity. Activity which is both distracting and adsorbing.

The minds of people with OCD and OCSDs including eating disorders and the other anxiety disorders mentioned on this web site need to be kept active, such minds are easily bored and any time spent in aimless pursuits or inactivity invites the incursion of unwanted and intrusive thoughts which drive the myriad compulsions and anxieties that plague our existence. In my personal opinion the more that you need to use your brain the better it is and the less the negative thoughts intrude. It is of course no easy matter and our brains soon need more and more intensive stimulation and new distractions. For me personally the pursuit of education is an excellent distraction and, as the quotation from Aristotle says, a refuge in adversity. Shortly after leaving hospital I found that correspondence courses were a good diversion. Yes one can get obsessive and yes there is the problem of checking written work if you have that type of OCD and indeed any new activity may appear fine for a while than the obsessions, which seem to have a mind of their own, tend to try and manipulate the latest activity and turn it into a new and worrying obsession if you are not mindful of this. And of course there is the stress of trying to pass an exam if this is the case. However the latter is normal stress and is more positive than neurotic stress. At least one feels some sense of satisfaction in ones accomplishments even if one has been rather obsessive, has had to battle with obsessive thoughts, has studied too hard or intensively and has produced work far in access of the requirements of the course. Such behaviours are typical of the sufferers of the illnesses discussed on this web site. Nonetheless it is still positive and therapeutic and gives a sense of feeling that despite overwhelming odds I did manage to get that qualification.

Art is yet another good method for lifting ones spirits through producing something that not only helps you but also pleases others and alleviates the drabness of day-to-day life. And yes as egotistic as it sounds it is a great morale and confidence booster when we receive praise for our artwork or any of our accomplishments. Artistic ability and mental illness often go hand in hand, we need to exploit our abilities in order to boast our confidence and self esteem, all of which help to alleviate depression and stress. Planning new artwork in a ruminative way is far better than ruminating about whether or not you have washed your hands to rid yourself of contamination or whether or not the slice of toast you ate for tea will make you fat. Yes you still have the negative thoughts but during the time you are involved in such positive activates such thoughts may seem less persistent, less intense and you may be less effected by them even if it is for only the duration of the activity.

In the last eight years or so since having the computer I have found it a real boon towards distracting me from the misery of not only my OCD but also, believe it or not, the headaches and all the other unpleasant maladies that seem determined to make my life a misery. Constructing this web site has really been an enormous distraction. Yes the obsessions have crept in, I have been checking, rechecking everything I have written, and I have been riddled with doubts. Nonetheless it has provided a respite during the time in which I am absorbed with this activity. Even when not actually working on the computer at the construction of the website it has kept my mind occupied with ideas for both the content and the art work consequently allowing less time for obsessional type thinking and the subsequent compulsive behaviours.

I am not advocating any particular religion or philosophy here as indeed such contemplation is a part of my OCD and perhaps such subjects are best avoided if they cause distress. However much can be learnt from reading inspirational books from all faiths and for me personally I have found that Buddhism has a lot of philosophical ideas that may give some food for thought concerning the nature of the mind. I see Buddhism as a science of the mind, a philosophical way of coping with adversity and in itself a kind of psychological therapy. Buddha observed that the mind was the cause of suffering. He said that the mind was the architect of our suffering that all suffering is in a way created by the mind or at least exaggerated by the mind.

Now those with any of the illnesses discussed on this web site and indeed any mental illness can validate this observation. Most of the appalling suffering that we have to live with arises solely from the mind, our mind gives us a unique perspective upon the world and if you have an obsessional illness or other mental illness this is always a very negative perspective. Our minds perceive the world to be a very dangerous place, dangers lurk round every corner and confront us during every pursuit of life that we undertake. Fear manifests itself where others do not see it. Most people do not see dogs as a danger, an health risk a means of contracting a life threatening illness as I do along with many OCD sufferers. Most people do not fear walking to their garden gate as do many agoraphobics and the majority do not feel their heart beat if they eat a sweat as their mind deludes them into seeing and feeling their body increase in size almost immediately as many anorexics believe. My sister would feel as though the weight piled on immediately after any kind of indulgence, an indulgence being merely eating a sweet. Yes the minds of those of us so afflicted with OC illnesses and anxiety disorders of all kinds make us cower in the loneliness of isolation fearful to go out, fearful to enjoy our lives, afraid of touching another person, fearful of eating nourishing food, fearful of the pleasure of the companionship of other creatures with whom we share out existence. The list is endless and unique to each one of us. Most of the things we fear and the things we avoid are not perceived as threats by others simply because their mind views life from a different perspective.

Yes that is all very well and I agree. In theory, fine, great! But our minds as sufferers are powerful and it is easier said that done to recognise the perverseness of the mind and its role as our own worst enemy and to do something about it and change our perspective is yet again quite another matter. And often such observations can make us cross and irritated, however some comfort can be derived from time to time recognising that we are not our mind and our mind can deceive us as it paints a bizarre image or delusion of our reality, and once one is aware of this it can help sometimes to stand back and view exactly what is going on in ones mind. On another level and not necessity an obsessional level our mind can deceive us in to thinking something is marvellous, a great idea and so on and than moments later or even years later our mind can do an about turn and make us feel that what we once liked or the decisions we once made and the life we lead was not what we wanted and that we have made mistakes and we are than as a consequence filled with regret or guilt. What we once liked we now dislike and our lives seem wasted. If we recognise just how the mind behaves we can become aware of its devious ways of warping our perception of life. And for those of us tormented by offensive and unpleasant intrusive thoughts such as violent or sexual thoughts it may help to realise that such thoughts are not you, rather it is your mind. Observe them see them as a defect of the mind and not part of you as a person, much like a person with a physical defect does not see the defect as being part of them but separate.

We believe we own out own thoughts and have to do something about them, especially if they are negative. This is bound to create suffering.
Ayya Khema, "Be an Island"

Often meditation, tai chi, yoga and relaxation are recommend for all mental disorders and although they are not a cure, if practiced regularly over time and with patience they do increase ones feelings of well being and can elevate ones mood. However a word of caution: As they say in physics there is no action with out an opposite and equal reaction. And this may be the case with the practice of these methods promoted as relaxation techniques. (It is interesting to note that their original purpose in the case of yoga, meditation and relaxation, which is really a technique adapted from Hatha yoga, are religious methods of preparing the body and mind for enlightenment. Or as in the case of tai chi as a means of self defence as this is a Martial art). I found that both meditation and relaxation can give me a headache however I do suffer from headaches and may be predisposed to this happening whenever I relax or meditate. Nonetheless one needs to be aware that some people do have adverse reactions to the aforementioned methods of relaxation and there are those who claim that excessive practice of such methods may actually lead to all manner of psychological and physical problems including headaches. However the same problems may arise with prescribed medication, many have had feelings of aggression, suicidal feelings and compulsions to self harm as a result of taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRI such as Prozac. My personal experiences related in my book explain my experiences with an increase of headaches after taking Prozac and also during meditation and relaxation sessions along with strange sensations of heat and spontaneous relaxation feelings even whilst not formally relaxing or meditating. This can be unnerving for suffers of OC disorders who feel the need to always be in control. One has to make an informed decision as everyone is different, what helps some may cause problems for others. There is much information available on the net but in the end one has to make ones own decision. The majority of people meditate and practice relaxation and so on or take Prozac with no problems at all while for the few problems may arise. I practice Tai Chi and yes sometimes it brings on a headache if I do not have one already but not of the severity experienced during relaxation. However I enjoy the practice of Tai Chi it provides a gentle exercise and gives me the feeling of doing something positive. I hesitated mentioning the value of the above methods because of my own problems whilst practicing them, however, because of the positive effects that one can achieve and which I have experienced I considered it necessary to include them but to also include my negative experiences and cautions. Such cautions are often found in responsibly written books on the subjects. It is also wise to find a qualified instructor and practitioner of meditation, relaxation, yoga and Tai Chi rather than attempt to learn solely from a book.

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