Obsessive Compulsive Reactions 44

Description

The obsessive-compulsive individual is usually characterized by extreme doubt, unreasonable

fears, undue worry, lack of confidence, and the tendency to repeatedly perform some act or
thought.
He feels it is necessary to perform certain acts without regard to retinal considerations.
For example, he may be forced to count objects, touch certain things, avoid stepping on a
crack in the sidewalk or wash his hands excessively,
If he fails to do these, he feels uncomfortable; if he does them. He is forced to rationalize and
justify he is acts.
All people perform such compulsive acts to a limited degree but their lives are not controlled
by them.

Obsessive thinking is commonly accompanied by anxiety.

The person may be so tense and anxious over the content of his thoughts that he is unable to
function effectively and thus feels useless.
Or he may be anxiously obsessed with an idea that something terrible is about to happen.
This individual may also be forced to think things which do not themselves cause apprehension
but may later produce severe anxiety.
For example, compulsive counting itself produces little apprehension but he may worry so
much over his inability to stop counting that he will develop further anxiety.

Etimology

Studies reveal that obsessive thoughts may be functioning to keep unpleasant ideas from
entering the consciousness.
Thus a person who has a fear of furry objects, for example, may become obsessed with the
thought, “I am not afraid of furry objects.”

Obsessive thoughts may also include the expression of hostile feelings.

In this reacting a husband or older sibling may be obsessed with thoughts of injuring a new-born
booby.
These thoughts may be an expression of angry feelings to the baby because it deprives the
husband or older child of the mother’s affection and attention.
Such thoughts may also serve as a reaction formation to hidden desires or impulses.
In this reaction a mother may be obsessed with thoughts of concern over her child.
These obsessions are sometimes an indicating of the mother’s attempts to hide true feelings of
hostility or aggression toward the son or daughter.

Another cause of obsessive reactions is extreme feelings of guilt.

An individual who feels guilty over past misdeeds may have obsessive thoughts concerning
condemnation which might befall him.

Persons who find life dealings threatening and dangerous may develop obsessive thoughts of
various forms in order to escape concentration on uncomfortable situations or experiences.
By keeping his mind occupied with obsessive ideas, a person is able to avoid facing threatening
reality situations.

Compulsions may result as defense reactions to certain thoughts and fears.

An individual who constantly washes his hands or bathes, for example, may performing this
behavior in unconsciousness attempt to cleanse himself from immoral thoughts or actions.

Compulsive behavior may also reflect apart traumatic experience.

For example, a person may exhibit a particular motion which is symbolic of his attempt to
avoid a car accident in which a close friend was seriously injured.

Illustration

Identification: White female, age 31

Presenting Problem: The patient is obsessed with thoughts concerning the safety of her
children.
She works during the day and feels compelled to frequently call the nursery where her children
are kept.

Personal and Family History: The patient is one of the three children.
Her father is in professional work, and her mother is also well-educated,
Both patens were over solicitous with the patient when she was a child, not allowing her to
develop adequate independence.
The patient did well in school, but did not learn to take initiative.
She continued the pattern of dependence begun I childhood.
She was married soon after graduating from high school and her first child was born several
years later.

After diagnosis and several counseling sessions, the therapist believes that the client is
attempting to cover her hostility toward her children.
They emphasize responsibility which she is unable and unwilling taking out her aggression on
her children, she has developed obsessive thoughts enable her to avoid her true feelings
toward children.

Treatment

If the obsessive – compulsive behavior has resulted from a particular incident in the person’s
past, the counselor should explore this experience and lead the individual to an understanding
of the development of the obsession or compulsion.
If the irrational behavior is a result of an accumulation of the individual’s past experiences and
personality development, an extensive personality evaluation may be necessary.
The therapist should help the client to explore his irrational fears and compulsions.
The client’s behavior unusually begins to take on new meaning when it is understood in
relationship to earlier experiences and personality e\development.

As therapy progresses, the counselor can help the client immeasurable by introducing spiritual
content into he sessions.
Since people are spiritual beings with a capacity for god, they can benefit from the power
which Christ fifers through knowing Him personally and maturing as a Christian
This spiritual understanding, how’ve, must be patiently integrated in therapy so that it affects
one’s thinking and eventually his behavior.
Excessive doubt, extreme fears, undue worry and lack of confidence – these and other feelings
which are frequent symptoms of the obsessive – compulsive client can be minimized through
spiritual guidance.