Hi Dottie,

Yes, we should never be surprised by the nature of OCD rituals, but I think that they all have the same function, which is to try to protect ourselves from overwhelming fear and anxiety.

The type of fear that the OCD sufferer endures is very extreme, and most people wouldn't experience this unless they were in a very frightening situation. Even then, I think that the OCD anxiety is different in nature from other anxiety, and more toxic.

Normal people know that they won't experience fear and anxiety unless something very bad happens, but with the OCD sufferer the fear is spontaneous, and there is no safe place for them to go. This is why IMHO we develop 'magic' rituals as a way of tricking the brain into thinking that it is safe. It's a kind of self delusion.

I think that the only (non medication) way out of OCD is to face the fear, and the fear of the fear; we have to accept that we will have further attacks and will go through them, as we have done before. It's not an easy ride. But, the funny thing is that when we face the fear, it does lessen, and this I think is the basis of cognitive therapies.

Finally, no matter how bizarre a ritual is for an OCD sufferer, we should take it very seriously, as this person has nothing but the ritual between themselves and great distress.

Peaceful thoughts, M