The Unstoppable Alarm Ringing in My Head | Incheon OCD

Greetings from Baekrokdam Korean Medicine Clinic.

Uncomfortable and irrational thoughts abruptly intrude into your mind, regardless of your will. Even though you know these thoughts aren't true, you find yourself unknowingly repeating specific behaviors to shake off the terrible anxiety they provoke.

“I have to check if the front door is locked at least ten times. Otherwise, I can't do anything due to the anxiety that the house might catch fire.”

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is not simply about being meticulous or overly worried. It's a condition where a false alarm called 'obsessive thoughts' and an endless checking procedure called 'compulsive behaviors' consume all your energy and time, trapping you in a prison of irrational thoughts.

The Cycle of 'False Alarms' and 'Spraying the Extinguisher'

OCD is an error caused by our brain's 'danger alarm system' becoming overly sensitive.

Just as a fire alarm blares throughout a building at the slightest hint of smoke, the brain mistakes thoughts that are not actually dangerous (obsessive thoughts) for a 'fatal danger' and sounds the highest level 'anxiety alarm'.

To quell this anxiety, we perform 'spraying the extinguisher actions' (compulsive behaviors). These are actions like washing hands, counting numbers, and checking repeatedly.

When these actions are performed, anxiety is temporarily, fleetingly alleviated. The brain falsely learns that 'this action made me safe.' Ultimately, a vicious cycle is created where we keep spraying the extinguisher to turn off a false alarm.

The Intersection of 'An Anxious Heart' and 'Excessive Thoughts'

In Korean medicine, the cause of OCD is viewed as an imbalance in two key organs that govern our mind and spirit.

First, it involves a constitutional weakness in the energy of the 'Heart and Gallbladder (心膽)'. The Heart, as the 'monarch,' governs the mind, and the Gallbladder, as the 'general,' presides over decisiveness. If the energy of these two organs is weak (心膽氣虛, Deficiency of Heart and Gallbladder Qi), one easily becomes anxious and fearful even over minor matters.

Second, it involves the 'organ of thought (Spleen, 脾臟)' being excessively overworked. When thoughts and worries become too deep and prolonged (脾思過多, Excessive Spleen Thought), one becomes fixated on a single thought and unable to escape it. The small anxiety sparked by an 'anxious heart' is continuously ruminated upon by 'excessive thoughts,' nurturing it into a massive obsession.

Therefore, Korean medical treatment focuses on strengthening the courage of the Heart and Gallbladder to reduce fundamental anxiety (安神定志, Calming the Spirit and Stabilizing the Will), and clarifying excessive thoughts to help restore the power to break the cycle of rumination.

3 Keys to Escaping the Prison of Thought

To break the cycle of obsession, conscious practice of separating the connection between thoughts and actions is necessary.

Key 1: Thought Observation

When an uncomfortable obsessive thought arises, don't fight to forcefully eliminate it. Instead, practice observing the thought from a distance, as if watching clouds drift by, simply noting, 'Ah, this thought is occurring.'

Key 2: Ritual Postponement

When the urge to check arises, promise yourself, 'I won't do it right now; I'll wait just 10 minutes.' It is important to experience the anxiety reaching its peak and then gradually decreasing over time.

Key 3: Anxiety Acceptance

Do not avoid the anxiety that comes when you don't perform compulsive behaviors. That anxiety will not harm you, and this is a process of retraining your brain through your own experience that it will inevitably disappear over time.

Neglecting OCD is a path where your world gradually narrows, eventually shrinking into the confines of 'compulsive behaviors'. At first, it might be just one action, like locking the door, but gradually more rules and procedures emerge, and you end up spending all your time and energy adhering to them.

Eventually, you trap yourself within a 'safe space' where those rules can be followed. Your life becomes a life dictated by obsession.

But now, the path of breaking this cycle of irrational thoughts and gathering the courage to face anxiety goes beyond simply stopping uncomfortable behaviors; it's a choice to escape the prison of obsession, interact freely with the world, and fully reclaim control over your time and energy.

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