What I've Learned - 2017-02-22
Explanation of how an OCD afflicted brain causes irrational and unhealthy behaviors & A method for treating it. ▲Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WILearned ▲Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeverettlearned ▲IG: https://www.instagram.com/jeverett.whativelearned/ The content in this video primarily comes from Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz's book "Brain Lock." It was very refreshing to come across a clear explanation of how a mental illness works in terms of physiology rather than psychology. Then I thought it quite remarkable that, as illustrated in the book, by simply changing their mindset and behavior, people can physically change their brain for the better. (As is evidenced by brain scans taken after Dr. Schwartz's treatment) OCD is a complex disease and this video doesn't intend to be an exhaustive explanation of it. If you do have OCD it would definitely be worth your time to check out the Brain Lock book: ( http://amzn.to/2m8g7z3 ) For those without OCD, I recommend checking out Dr. Schwartz's book "You are not Your Brain" which presents a unique approach for stopping bad habits based on understanding how the brain works ( http://amzn.to/2lvXDpa ) Also mentioned in the video is Norman Doidge's "The Brain that Changes Itself" which is all about the brain's impressive ability to drastically modify itself via neuroplasticity. While it doesn't introduce a specific method or techniques, it's an interesting read with a lot of useful information: ( http://amzn.to/2m8BPmL )
OCD also has to do woth extremely unwanted thoughts and the guilt associated with them and the rituals to get rid of tje anxiety they produce, this is the worse kind, I would rather have issues with germs than with the awful thoughts that plague my head
just me 724 no, you wouldn’t
Brother you just summarised what i m going through
@NoLongerHuman Yep Sucks! Wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy!
Elizabeth Gonzalez i
@Al Masih Its not a typical kind of addiction like addiction to nicotine or sugar. Its a mental disorder, a fault in your brain.
All these videos "explaining" OCD never address the obsession part. Intrusive, obsessive thoughts is what causes the compulsions.
@CryptoLambo You eat squirrel food, you gonna become a squirrel. Not rocket science.
@nickys34 As someone with OCD I can attest that changing diets can help relieve stress, but I don't think that it is purely due to the lack of carbs. Ketosis for instance does help me feeling more energized and generally less stressed, but I think a big part of that is that I have to practice a degree of self discipline to do it, providing me with a sense of control over my life.
Exactly and also CBT usually cure the behaviours better than the thoughts.
@nickys34 Do you want to share to the class what you think OCD is? Because whatever you think it is... isn't it.
@nickys34 I eat a lot of fatty things, but I'm still ill. 🙄
Stay strong fellow OCD havers.
We're in this together.
I have it, and it gets worse, I have repeated behaviors, it sucks it's annoying as hell
Thank you
we unite!
Ty
We're all in this together
My Note to Mothers Out There: My mother caused my OCD as she was verbally and mentally abusive. The anxiety in our house was hell and most of us siblings suffer from terrible anxiety/ocd/depression. Please don't have children if you are stressed out or incapable of love. Your children will suffer their whole lives from YOU and your poor decisions.
Same here... My father left..and my mother was extremely abusive...as if she always wanted me to die
M suffering with OCD.. and a few more problems too.
While writing this...i got tears in my eyes..
Ari s. We are with you👍☺️
Chill😂😂
I feel the same because even my parents felt like they did us a favor by giving us birth
Cheryl Smith Exactly. If you’re not a functional intelligent person don’t have children. You’ll just subject them to hardships you’ll never understand, and neither may they. I can dream anyway.
Sometimes compulsions are not visible physically, instead it is internally in the mind...
@Chuckster Hanley Hi Chuck .. not sure this will help , I hope it does ... I see 4 values (categories in your brain that make meaning "perception" ) .. "Bully" , "damage", "status" and "you".
Write them down on paper .. get them out of your head and physically write them. Research and write next to each a clear value.
Define "Bully" clearly ... so u don't get to waste energy responding to non important interactions .
Define "damage" and "Status" as there are many levels of meanings layered in this words /concepts that could make you react and loose balance.
You ... its a lifelong search for this one .. but try see the levels and how "you" are also brain/sensors/and a social being. I am not sure you know the concep of ego in psicology but that is about the only thing a Bully may damage .. and try balance out that against your behaviour. And don't forget that context ( at work or school) how you value/react may have different outcomes. Take care m8
I, personally, do not have obvious compulsions like counting in my head when I feel uncomfortable, which is known as primarily obsessional OCD. Along with that is scrupulosity, which doesn’t really help with me making some friends since whenever I’m surrounded by cursing I break down.
OCD sucks. :(
That's what happens with my ocd
Can relate
That’s what isn’t addressed enough, the internal compilations you have to live with
The dread of OCD runs much deeper than physical compulsions. It varies from physical and mental compulsions which can be very debilitating
Yes finally someone brings up cognitive compulsions, i have this and i feel like not enough people know about it or have done research.
@shannon Bear All OCD works the same and you use the same treatment across the board.
Mine are mental compulsions
I personally need help with mental cumpulsions. I keep going into loops of thinking about what I’m thinking about to thinking about what im thinkning about what im thinking about.
Also, my sometimes my OCD obsesses about my OCD making it worse and worse. I feel you.
I have OCD and it really disturbs me. Every time I know that what I'm doing is completely illogical, but it just feels weird if I don't satisfy this "feeling" of doing something over and over again. The biggest issues I have are closing the door, checking if I forgot my key, wipe my ass (yeah really) and even look around (for no reason). But now I know what's going on in my brain and I will definitely try this behavior therapy out. Thank you! (Sorry for bad English, I'm German)
Always know its ocd and have a breathing exercise gonna help you alot and try exercising any thing is possible in this world you can cure ocd by yourself you just need to believe in yourself!
@hypnocilicdreams you made me cry.
@tomerRA Be well, my friend 🌺
Same. Counting, touching something for a certain amount od times, re-reading something over and over again if it doesn't "feel right", walking back 10 minutes of way to look if I really locked the door... I wish us all enough patience and the ability to stop those thoughts one day.
Gosh, now that I'm reading all these comments I have this feeling that my mannerisms might not be just that. Maybe I should go to a doctor.
I have OCD, social anxiety, depression. All of these are linked. Existence becomes nightmarish.
It feels as if my anxiety, depression, and OCD all back each other up reinforcing themselves.
same. i wish i can afford therapy or medications at least but it seems like only the rich can afford them in my country.
I think I kinda understand you...I really want to die, because there are times that I feel so dead inside of me. But if I did this, it would cause a lot of pain and I also want to fight, but sometimes it's just so hard to motivate yourself
Stay strong, we're in this together
search Katie D’ath on Youtube. She is an OCD Therapist
You're only referring to one type of OCD! There's thousands of different types. I was diagnosed with OCD and have suffered with it for years, but I'm the messiest person you'll meet! Please do a video about other types because you're making it seem as though we're all obsessed with cleaning.
I'm sure you had the best of intentions, but OCD is a spectrum, and perpetuating the stereotype that we're all 'neat freaks' is damaging.
Thank you for taking the time to read my comment
@ChrisHandsom LordOvCockBlock ha...I remember in elementary school when I first realized why we blink. The teacher had a lesson on it. I couldn't stop thinking about blinking for an entire month. It progressed into something else more formidable as I learned more.
@angela 5234 when I was young I would get random neck twitches in which I moved my head compulsively...like I was turning to look at something. It would always happen in church because I was so stressed by the judgement (I assumed was occuring and I was probably correct). This hasn't happened for many years but Idt I ever put it together that it was obsessive thoughts that were causing it. Interesting that you say that.
Agreed!
Absolutely... OCD is a broad term... it would like thinking cancer patient have the sane symptoms... I have it severe... although I've never been a "checker"
Thank you!! Seriously, it can have literally nothing to do with cleaning or tidying. It could just be counting or checking to give an example. I hate the OCD has been trivialised, if you suffer from it genuinely you can't even say it because no one takes seriously anymore, because near freaks monopolised our word. I had a severe case in the early 90s when no one had ever heard of it. That had its own issues I guess. But this isn't much better.
Ocd is painful
Mavis ocd is a nightmare and a unbearable unending curse
Hope this video helped.
Sending love and inner peace to all of you
Thank you dear.
but what about pure o the intrusive thoughts?
I have that and I can tell you that it's a constant battle between you and your brain and even though it's debilitating no one notices so they just think you are lazy complicated or rude
Babygirl Jones me too
I have this.
I’m one of those. It’s called primarily obsessional OCD, where you may not have compulsions but you still have intrusive thoughts.
I have it. My intrusive thoughts do not allow me to concentrate and more I try to avoid intrusive thoughts stronger they become. As a result, I can't concentrate when doing something intellectually challenging and when talking to people. It sucks.
I have OCD, it is horrible, but I have started fighting back. It is mostly a factor of your environment. When you don't have control over your life OCD is a way to fill that void. When I was in a toxic environment my OCD was unbearable, i recently left this toxic environment and it has gotten a lot better since then.
LEXV. I only started to have ocd after I moved houses 3 years ago. Before that I did not have anything to do with ocd at all. I'm hoping it really does just have something to do with my environment now and when I move it will get alot better like you
I have Pure O OCD with traditional OCD traits, have had it longer than I can remember, going back to age 3-4 at least. It’s gotten so, so much worse recently but overall I can’t say my environment ever factored in much at all. Therapy has helped me before, and hopefully it will help me again. I’m recently married and my husband has been so patient with me and so understanding, he doesn’t embarrass me or make a spectacle of the few physical compulsions I do have. He pushes me when I try to have an exposure day or week, but never pushes too hard or past my limit. I am so lucky to have him, nobody else has ever been supportive with my treatment of OCD or this understanding about the symptoms and not treated me like a total weirdo, yet even with all of that, my Pure O has gotten out of control entirely, no matter what I do, and my traditional OCD or my physical compulsions to put it plainly are out of control for the first time in almost a decade. I’ve started to be way more anxious in my OCD too, panicking if I don’t appease my brain whatever way it wants me to with physical compulsions. It sucks, and it’s been extremely difficult for me to deal with. I can’t wait for the day I feel better again. It’s crazy how it’s so different for everyone, and how some people see it improve or worsen with environment. I almost wish that was the case with me, but alas, my biggest wish is for everyone cursed with this disease to find peace and rid themselves of it. This is a hell I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
Max you hit the nail right on the head! Remove toxins and negativity from your life. I have never met an individual with OCD who is happy with life. There is always underlying negativity, fear, anger, depression, frustration, etc. I so agree with all the meditation and mindfulness comments. Bringing more peace into your life, with yoga, bodywork, tapping, laughter therapy, mantras, self-care practices, whatever, will go a long, long way to helping OCD behavior, or any negative behavior or habit. Listening to positive affirmations daily works wonders, as crazy and ineffective as that may sound to some people. No horrendous chemicals necessary!! There are so many natural things to help OCD. Glad leaving the pessimism behind has helped you!!
I feel this. I always wondered why my OCD seemed to come in phases, and I realized it was always the environment that I was in that would trigger that stress and anxiety through the roof
Yes in school it’s unbearable but when I’m at home sometimes I actually feel like a normal person
“I’m so leukemia” 😂😂
cooper c when you tweet about catching leukemia
I'm 3 months into ocd therapy I'm almost "cured" if your reading this you can do it
@Mr. Cross hello, what kind of help?
@maryam thr bro i m suffering from breathing obession.....its a condition in which one thinks about his breathing(consious breathing) and its like hell for me everyday...i get sleepless nights and its all becuz of ocd and anxiety.....plz can u tell me a way to overcome this ocd...cuz i m suffering from this and crying everyday...its like torture to me....and my brain cannot stop thinking about it
A E see a psychologist that does exposure and response therapy. It helps you get past you obsessions.
Clomipramine is best drug to cure also erp
I go to therapy but not for OCD, do you think they could still help?
you're using 'obsessions' and 'compulsions' interchangeably, but the 'obsession' part of OCD refers to intrusive thoughts, which this video didn't really touch on...
Very well said, at least one person on here knows what there talking about he's just a stereotype.
I can check the door multiple times and still be afraid I forgot. media does a terrible job of portraying ocd. it isn't only the need to clean. it can show its self in many ways. one symptom I had was a constant need to remove imperfections from my body; this lead to sores and scars. it is exhausting to be stuck in thoughts and actions especially when it hurts you.
AshCrashed Rants and Reviews yea, I have dermatilomania too
Pavel Esenin how so?
You guys who worry about your door being locked kinda make me laugh a bit. Because you don't seem to realise that it really doesn't make a difference whether your door is locked or not anyway. When my apartment got broken into, they used a jimmy bar to lever open the kitchen window. The windows had very strong locks on them but they just completely busted them to pieces. The police later told me that basically, the better the locks you have on your house, the more damage the burglars will do when they break in. Underlining WHEN they break in. The fact is that if a burglar has decided to break into your place, nothing is going to stop them. So in essence all this worry about locked doors is a complete waste of time. You really are at no greater risk if your doors are left unlocked. Another way I can demonstrate this is with my car. I leave my car unlocked all the time these days, when I go into the shops, when I have it parked in the front of the house, whatever. And it never gets broken into (I don't leave any valuables in it). In the past, when I used to keep my car locked all the time, at least 5 times my different cars were broken into, burglars used screwdrivers, bricks, you name it, smashed windows, busted up locks etc. And there was never anything in it to steal anyway. Maybe just a few coins. I realised I'm better off leaving it unlocked because it avoids all that damage being done just for a burglar to find out there's nothing in it to steal anyway. And the fact is, since I've stopped worrying about locking it, I haven't had a single break in.
SAME on the imperfections thing - I'm still dealing with that. Gotta figure out how to quit.
Though it can be, it’s not perfectionism either, it can be though . I’ve seen that often displayed, possibly even more than the germophobia.
5:58 that’s how i get new cumpulsions
Exactly new one dead Lock😓
My tactic to remembering if I locked the door is to pull the knob as many times as the day of the week, so twice for Tuesday. This way I remember locking the door and I also remember it was today, and I'm not just remembering locking the door yesterday.
@Ultracity6060 That could work if varying the odd thing that is done is included.
When I lock my car, I always say lock before I close it
@Andro Medved correct. I DO remember locking the door but I STILL feel the need to go back and check it. And I do understand that it is not logical but still need to do it to ease the anxiety
@ingrida ingrida Yesterday I felt the urge to check if I locked the door but I resisted it. After I came back home, the door was unlocked. Imagine how disturbing I felt!
thats smart, I’m going to try that out.
Why don't you say fear once in this video, when it is all about fear?
agreed
Agree
Definetley agree
Had OCD since I was maybe 6 probably earlier but I only remember that far back. I took SSRI's, ended up having violent nightmares, hallucinations and self destructive thoughts. I decided to stop getting treated and now use the hyperactive error detection in my job as an architectural draftsman, being able to focus on nitpicky details for hours and fixing problems others would overlook or give up on. I still have negative side effects such as washing my hands in boiling hot water and opening doors with my elbows etc, but I think it's a good trade off. Side note: My room is messy and it annoys me when people think neatness and order is all OCD is.
Jake Dew That last part though!!! Couldn't have said it any damn better myself. Thank you so much!
Jake Dew I thought I was the only one who opened the door with my elbow... or a part of my shirt.... or my butt... or... lmao
Hey Jake,
You are right OCD is a broad disorder, you can have people who hoard belongings, people who do rituals to decrease their anxiety to people who are clean. My therapist confided to me that Cleaning is one of the less common ocd disorders.
I have only experienced it 8 months and it is horrible.
Lmao, I have had those same compulsions too. If I wash my hands with cold water, I get scared that the germs actually aren't being washed off. Additionally, I previously couldn't touch knobs with my hands, and instead I had to open things another way.
Wait, you wash your hands in BOILING WATER???!!! Is that hyperbole or are you serious?
Can you do this for social anxiety / awkwardness?
Trinitro phenylnitramine
You might actually have an form of OCD that's involved with social anxiety
nofap
I chew gum and it keeps my brain busy when talking to people regarding social anxiety.
Eat more burgers. A high carb diet makes you jittery and tweeky. And wreck your brain and give you OCD. Burgers will make you as a calm as a lion.
I used to have OCD thoughts (intrusive thoughts). Stop trying to control your thoughts. We're all imperfect and you're not the only one with horrible thoughts. Recognize intrusive thoughts as OCD thoughts rather than feeling guilty for having them. Just watch your mind instead of believing you are youre thoughts because you aren't.
has it gotten better?
That’s powerful.
I'm trying to tell myself that these are just thoughts and for about 5 minutes I can breathe again, I can feel a small sample of freedom...but then...it starts all over again...
OCD action symptoms is fine..but when OCD strikes in thoughts...same thinking over and over...it kills
Fight it, be brave. That's how I won.
Mix of acute stress disorder and OCD, now almost absent.
BTW I'm Indian too
@Bharatiye how u control it bro?
Iyan Eki Stop fighting the thoughts, it’s a hopeless fight, you can’t win. The more you resist the harder the thoughts will come back. You want to learn to accept the thoughts. You don’t have to agree with it, but just accept that it can be here present in your mind and you don’t have to make it go away. After accepting it you want to redirect your focus on something else, focus on the colors of the objects around you, focus on your breathe. The point is not to give attention to the thought, treat it as something unimportant! This is truly the way my friend
i can help
edward cullen if you can help.. please give us tips or advice
I've liked this video 77 times because of my OCD
ocd isnt just this its much more me being someone with ocd knows its much worse
Yes it is very important that people know that no, not everyone has OCD. Most people have traits of ocd, but that is EXTREMELY different than actually having it. OCD is hellish, especially the intrusive thoughts. If people can casually say “oh I’m so ocd” with a little giggle, they most likely are simply experiencing a similar trait and definitely don’t know what real obsessive compulsions are.
when you check your phone pocket and it s empty, orbital cortex explodes.
But what happens when you suffer from pure-O OCD? How do you get rid of unwanted thoughts? It's terrible.
Elizabeth Gonzalez I have hocd it’s so so difficult
It's so horrible, Its making me not even want to live :(
POCD is the worst one a person can suffer from... it makes life become literal hell.
Boran Ucdere ROCD is hell when you are in relationships..
Your thoughts are not visible unless you bring them into existence. You want a clean mind everyday put more focus on the fact that you have air in your lungs that’ll bring you leverage you need & then ask yourself the question “ what are some great opportunities that can make me a better me than I was yesterday? How can bring a smile into someone else’s life? What can I learn today? And most importantly what can I learn from this?
Enjoy.
Editing level: poetic.
I got OCD symptoms after a very stressful period in my life. Though they were light compared to your what many other OCD sufferers go through it was absolutely hellish. I spent about half a year thinking the same thoughts every single day. Luckily, I'm a lot better now. My heart goes out to all OCD sufferers.
I also have OCD and I've been coping with it for just over 9 years. I think it's important to be aware of an OCD event (action, thought etc.), ignore it and MOVE ON. The more you ignore it the better you cope in the long run. Further, I find that positive stress (e.g intense exercise), and struggling in the pursuit of success helps take my mind away from ocd thoughts and brings me to a different reality and to focus instead on getting closer to my own success.
Darien Birkett schenpranzia
@Elizabeth Gonzalez How are you doing now?
G4nst4Ch33se ... I’m doing so much better after a year and 2 months of my first ocd episode. The anxiety is still there but I don’t let it get the best of me. How are you?
@Elizabeth Gonzalez Glad to hear it :)
@Haajj Abbaajaj no lmao research
i dont have OCD but when i feel like im stuck in a loop or brain lock when im checking things, i take a picture of them.. helps big time
Perform the actions with "utmost care." I call it absolute awareness. I'll even say out loud 'the fridge is closed, the stove is off, the coffee maker is unplugged - I have to push on the fridge door to make sure and look at the stove with the light on over it to make sure it is off, then I can leave. If I don't do these things while paying very close attention, I'll have to go back inside and do it again. I can't back out of my garage without knowing these things are ok. I also have to really watch the garage door go down or I'll have to drive around the block to check. This video is really great! I love how you explained the brain functions (or malfunctions, lol.) Thank you for spreading awareness for us!
Plz watch " Lonely Man With Extreme OCD "
My friend likes telling others she's ocd whenever she is cutting off messy parts of ribbons and fixing people's hair,
telling them she has depression and anxiety when she gets scolded
And bullies me whenever i had a panic attack (no im not here because i have ocd, just wanted to comment this 😂)
Shift from Compulsiveness to consciousness...Just delay it and you can overcome it...it is so simple 😉 !
Just got the KNAWLEDGE ad
Ben Dover Yes
Ben Dover that Ferrari was rented!!!
How to buy Ferrari 50 times? That's poor knawledge that will lead to your own demise! Don't listen to him!
Same lel
insert forgettable name o
can you do a video like this on ADHD
The door locking is me every day. Also double checking that I unplugged the iron, blow dryer, toaster, YOU NAME IT.
Keep it up! your one of the best educational channels on youtube!
Thanks mate!
*you're
he's only the best because he is so OCD about making his videos great!
screw you
It would be great if you could do a video regarding tourettes.
I think the brain abnormalities in OCD and tourettes are similar, but slightly different too.
Hey everyone,just do yourself a favour and search for ''Mark Freeman''.I hope you all the best.
As effective as behavior therapy can be, it fails to acknowledge the cognitive aspects of ocd. As do most of the theories that exclusively focus on brain activity. Ocd won't happen if people don't have an inadequate appraisal of themselves as vulnerable/responsible (depending on whether obsessions are more related to illness or to causing harm/disaster), of certain stimulus as extremely dangerous, of one's ability to cope as very limited, and of the consequences of not performing the compulsion as catastrophic. So, behavior therapy targets only a part of ocd, and most notably leaves out obsessions altogether. What often happens is that not including a cognitive component in behavior therapy makes relapse a lot more likely.
Ciara Hicks I'm personally fascinated! I have TS & OCD & I did exposure aversion - which worked til my life took a crap - and it ALL came back with a vengeance. Your comment gave me some hope :) TY :D
Elektric Skeptic I know it wasn't that long ago, but I've not had any sort of relapse up until this point and I have experienced quite extreme stress. I would definitely look into it! :)
Last autumn I started to do a DBT course, and that's been brilliant too. It's different to CBT and focuses on mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. Everyone can benefit from DBT, but it helped with my anxiety and motivation a great deal.
It took me years after being diagnosed to find the right sort of help, I know how frustrating that time can be. Best of luck! <3
Ciara Hicks Thank you so very much - I'm DEFINITELY looking into it! :D xo
(^_^)
This method worked for me.
The trick though is that the later you wait to get help, the more ingrained the habits and beliefs are. And the other one is that you have to be prepared to allow the consequences to come, even if the believed consequences involve deaths and destruction.
Chris L WHAT METHOD WORKED FOR YOU? TELL ME MORE, THANKS!
your channel is growing quickly. congrats!
So that is why mindfulness meditation has helped me so much!
OCD is often misrepresented, and the notion that it is untreatable is long debunked- this vid is an excellent one.
2:13 that rare moment I actually lol literally
The Book really helped me to understand the disease and to recover.
ive had different types of ocd ever since i was young it started as changing clothes multiple times a day , then checking doors were locked or overthinking and believing my loved ones could get hurt anytime they walk out the door . Now its mostly scared of germs, touching anything i dont feel comfortable unless i wash my hands .
Abhishek sarkar - 2019-02-07
Suffering from OCD for 12 years.
It's like you have two brains, a rational brain and an irrational brain and they're fighting constantly.
Ari Grande - 2020-02-27
@Clara it's gonna be okay, give yourself time, that is what I'm trying to do, every day my mind is a warzone...it hurts a lot, but be patient, I'm so glad that people really understand what ocd is and show acceptance...One day it will all be easier, just be patient and try to love yourself ..♡
Harjeet Singh - 2020-02-27
@edward cullen Hi bro, what is you facebook profile?
Roy Marzano - 2020-03-10
exactly right i have it its a real life nightmare
Mark Mallorca - 2020-03-20
we are all in the same boat guys. just tell yourself its just OCD everytime it urges
Lepomir Bakic - 2020-03-21
You strugle becos you are not doing what you supose to but what you think you should