Step 6 - The Roots of Fear

How to Treat OCD and Obsessive Thoughts: Identifying the Root of Your Fears

Introduction

Overcoming OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) is a journey that involves understanding and addressing the underlying fears driving your obsessive thoughts. In this blog post, we will explore step number six for overcoming OCD, which involves identifying the root of your fears. This step is crucial for effectively minimizing and managing OCD symptoms.

Understanding the Roots of OCD

Obsessive thoughts and OCD are almost always rooted in underlying fears and doubts. Just like a weed that will keep growing back if its roots are not removed, OCD will persist if the core fears are not addressed. It is essential to target and eliminate these fears to prevent OCD from recurring.

The Six Basic Fears

To effectively identify the roots of your fears, a useful tool is understanding the six basic fears as outlined by Napoleon Hill in his book "Think and Grow Rich." These fears are:

1. Fear of Poverty: This is the fear of not being able to provide for your basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing.

2. Fear of Criticism: This fear involves the anxiety of being criticized, rejected, or made fun of by others.

3. Fear of Loss of Love: This can manifest as the fear of losing someone you love, whether through death or through a breakup or other types of separation.

4. Fear of Disease or Ill Health: This is the fear of becoming ill, especially with a terminal illness.

5. Fear of Old Age: This fear is more about the consequences of aging, including the inability to take care of oneself, losing physical mobility, and being alone.

6. Fear of Death: This is the fear of the finality and unknown aspects of death itself.

Identifying Your Root Fears

To identify which of these basic fears your obsessions are rooted in, you can follow a simple tracing exercise. Begin with your primary obsession and question what underlying fear it connects to. For example, if your obsession involves excessive hand-washing, it might be rooted in the fear of disease or ill health.

Once you have identified the root fear, you can then proceed to introduce exposure and response prevention techniques. The goal here is to expose yourself gradually to the fear in a controlled manner and refrain from performing the compulsive response. This practice helps in reducing the fear over time and, consequently, diminishes the obsessive thoughts associated with it.

Conclusion

Identifying and addressing the root fears associated with OCD is a critical step in overcoming the disorder. By understanding and targeting these fears, you can make significant progress in managing and reducing OCD symptoms.