STOP therapy is easy to explain.
Any of us who has had OCD is familiar with the 'circle'.... an intrusive thought that spins around and round in our head. It compels us to do some ritualistic action (called 'binding the anxiety') like washing our hands, checking door knobs, going back to make sure we locked stuff 3 times. Yet even after we have done what it is telling us to do, we still have a strong sense of unease....and the thought returns. Pretty Hellish. Ingratiating ourselves to people we have imaginarily offended... or worse, trying to intimidate them.... washing our hands 100 times....checking to make sure we parked just perfect and moving the car 4 times... you guys know the drill
Anybody with this at some time in their life begins to get a glimmer that all is not right. We notice other people not having the same issues and begin to feel 'crazy' and isolated.
When you become aware that you are caught in an episode, immediately say, out loud, "STOP!"
Now go to another activity. Something unrelated to what you were doing.
Do everything you can to change your scene and narrative. If it follows you there and you catch yourself drifting into the circle again(the intrusive thought) , say "STOP!" and go somewhere else. Do something else.
and so on and so on.
Sometimes it's a hassle.... sometimes (like at work) we can't move for one reason or another, but just like the TMS work , it is a war and any time you can muster the energy, do it. Fight it. You can and will break it! Sitting here playing guitar..(thought) STOP. Go to wash the dishes (it comes back ) STOP! Go outside to play with the dogs......STOP!
It was really wearying the first time I tried it. It was like trying to pull melted cheese....it kept following me in strings. But I stuck to it and it worked. Now , like TMS work, I can arrest an attack in minutes and hours.
PET scans were done on people at UCLA. a PET scan makes an MRI seem like a black and white polaroid.
The brains of people with OCD were found to be having an 'electrical storm; when only the 'lights should have been on'.
different control groups were treated differently. The ones on high doses off SSRI's and the ones who did STOP therapy were for the most part 'cured'. I was.
I went through many facets of OCD. First the washing when I was little, then the counting rituals, certain GOD was angry at me....later, it actually made me get into fist fights and I had a horribly violent period in my teens of fighting nearly every day. Someone would do something that I perceived as humiliating me. Rather than suffer the hours and days of reliving it, I just punched them. I wasn't Sarno's "tough guy"... I actually took a lot of beatings.... but that is just proof positive that mental torment is worse than physical. I'd rather get the shit kicked out of me than live in OCD circular HELL for even a day.
..and, Just like TMS, OCD is there to distract me from the realm of emotions. There is usually some elephant in the room I don't want to see. That means , anything i can do to get spiritually well,prayer, writing inventory, pausing to reflect (not obsess) will stop it . Just like TMS it is a phantom and when it is gone, you will rejoice. And it can get gone.
peace
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