Understanding OCD and How Healing Begins

How many times do we hear someone explain an action with the phrase “I can’t help it – it’s my OCD”, casually naming it as an excuse for needing tidiness, or for persistently lining items in certain orderly rows? But Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is far more serious than this: it is not about being tidy, organised, or cautious: it is a constant battle between logic and fear, clarity and chaos. And it should not be taken lightly: just as feeling anxious is not the same as having an anxiety disorder or just as feeling sad is not the same as having depression, needing things to be neat and tidy in a specific manner is not OCD. For many, it feels like living with a voice that never quiets - a whisper of what if that grows into a roar the more you try to ignore it. OCD is a disorder and, as such, should not be taken lightly.

Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that repeatedly enter a person’s mind and cause intense distress or anxiety. They often feel uncontrollable - as if they pop up out of nowhere - and they can make someone doubt their safety, morality, or sense of control. And even though OCD sufferers usually recognise that their obsessions do not make logical sense, the thoughts can feel so real and urgent that they’re hard to ignore. Some common types of obsessions include, but are by no means exclusive to:

Contamination obsessions: Fear of germs, illness, or being dirty.Example: “What if I get sick from touching that door handle?”

• Checking or safety obsessions: Fear that something bad will happen because of a mistake or oversight.Example: “What if I left the stove on and the house burns down?”

  
  

• Harm or responsibility obsessions: Fear of accidentally or intentionally hurting oneself or others.Example: “What if I lose control and hurt someone I love?”

  
  

• Symmetry or “just right” obsessions: A need for things to feel perfect, balanced, or in the right order.Example: “These books don’t feel even — I can’t relax until they’re lined up perfectly.”

  
  

• Moral or religious obsessions (scrupulosity): Worrying about sinning, offending a higher power, or being immoral.Example: “What if thinking that thought means I’ve done something unforgivable?”

  
  

• Relationship or identity obsessions: Doubts about one’s feelings, relationships, or sense of self.Example: “What if I don’t really love my partner?” or “What if I’m not who I think I am?”

  
  

There may be some of you who feel, having read that list, that you have OCD because you experience one or more of the examples listed and, yes, most of us, if we are being truthful with ourselves, have had obsessive thoughts or behaved obsessively. However, the difference is that, with OCD, these obsessions trigger extreme anxiety, guilt, or discomfort - and to relieve those feelings, a person often performs compulsions - repetitive behaviours or mental rituals. Unfortunately, while compulsions temporarily ease anxiety, they also reinforce the cycle, making the obsessions return even stronger later on.

Thus, at its core, OCD is a cycle of obsessions and compulsions - intrusive, anxiety-provoking thoughts that compel repetitive behaviours, thoughts or mental rituals. These thoughts arrive uninvited, sticking to the mind like static that won’t fade, and the compulsions that follow become desperate attempts to find relief. And in response, compulsions rise - endless checking, washing, counting, arranging, thinking about the same thing or silently repeating words. These rituals momentarily calm the storm, but the peace never lasts long. The cycle repeats, draining energy, hope, and joy from everyday life.

But OCD is not just about physical rituals - it also involves having obsessive thoughts about the self and, because this is invisible, it is often an aspect of OCD that is misunderstood by others. A person living with OCD can feel like being trapped in their own mind - constantly negotiating with invisible fears, constantly seeking control over uncertainty. It’s exhausting, and often, it’s lonely. But the truth is this: OCD is not who you are.

Healing the Mind: How Hypnotherapy Can Help

While traditional treatments like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) remain gold standards for OCD treatment, many sufferers find that hypnotherapy offers a gentle yet powerful complement to these approaches. Hypnotherapy works by guiding the mind into a deeply relaxed, focused state - often described as feeling both calm and awake. In this state, the mind becomes more receptive to new ideas, perspectives, and emotional healing. For someone living with OCD, this can mean:

• Soothing the anxiety response that fuels obsessive thoughts.

• Reprogramming subconscious patterns that drive compulsive behaviours.

• Building inner calm and emotional resilience, allowing the mind to release fear and regain balance.

• Reinforcing positive affirmations and self-trust, helping individuals feel more in control of their thoughts.

  
  

Hypnotherapy doesn’t erase intrusive thoughts overnight - it is not a magic trick - but it can help quiet them. Hypnotherapy creates space between the thought and the reaction, offering a sense of choice where before there was only compulsion. Over time, many people describe feeling lighter, calmer, and more in tune with their own sense of peace.

When used alongside other forms of therapy, medication, and self-care, hypnotherapy can become a bridge, guiding the mind from fear to freedom, from chaos to calm.

You Are Not Alone

If you or someone you love is struggling with OCD, please know this: there is hope, and healing is possible. You do not have to fight the endless thoughts or rituals alone. Reach out - to a qualified therapist, a registered hypnotherapist trained in anxiety and trauma work, or a mental health professional.

Every small act of courage - making the call, booking the session, choosing to believe things can get better - is a step toward freedom.

You deserve peace. You deserve quiet. You deserve to feel safe inside your own mind again.And with the right support, you can.

Get in touch to book a free 15 minute consultation. Details below.

Lisa Mason-Cooper BA (Hons.), MA, PGCE, Hyp.Dip GQHR Reg.

I am an accredited therapist, based in Croydon. I combine hypnotherapy, life coaching and counselling to work at the root cause of trauma and anxiety, helping you move forward with clarity and confidence.