Mindfulness 101
The practice of mindfulness is a form of eastern philosophy meditation that has been adopted by western medicine as a way to reduce the stress and anxiety often associated with various physical and mental health diagnoses, including OCD. The basic principle of mindfulness is learning to “be here, be now,” which, in its essence, means to focus on the present. Western medicine research has shown that mindfulness has many physical and mental health benefits, including improving depression and concentration, decreasing stress and anxiety, as well as supporting the immune system.
OCD & Mindfulness Benefits:
Being in the moment through mindfulness practice involves bringing awareness to your physical, mental, and emotional state – without judgment. It is paying attention to and accepting the thoughts, impulses, and emotions – even the negative ones associated with OCD. Usually, this means learning to accept being uncomfortable. Individuals with OCD sometimes forget that everyone, (including those without OCD), has intrusive, bad, and annoying thoughts, but that people without OCD do not always give credence to these thoughts as OCD sufferers do. By learning to be less reactionary toward these annoying thoughts, OCD sufferers begin quieting the OCD voice and even shifting their own beliefs. Mindfulness sessions are especially helpful for reinforcing the principles of Exposure Ritual Prevention treatment (ERP), which is the evidence-based treatment found to be most effective for treating OCD. Mindfulness coupled with the consistent use of ERP techniques have proven to drastically reduce the anxiety in the clients that we see, as well as help clients complete treatment programs at faster and more successful rates.
We offer an 8-week, therapist-led mindfulness group to support those who have not quite made the decision to begin treatment and those that are already involved in ERP treatment for OCD. Mindfulness sessions are not an adequate substitution for ERP. Individuals interested in enrolling in this group should do so to support overall wellness, but should NOT join as a direct solution for their OCD. Most individuals participating in these sessions utilize them as a supplement to treatment or as a method for determining whether they want to begin ERP. Additionally, individuals who are suffering from anxiety unrelated to OCD can benefit from these sessions.