In this guide, I’m going to share a powerful guided meditation for intrusive thoughts and OCD.
As you might know, OCD is a mental health condition afflicting 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children according to the Anxiety And Depression Association of America [1].
Thankfully, no matter what type of OCD you have, whether you’re a Washer, Checker, Doubter, Counter and Arranger, or Hoarder, meditation could help.
Trust me, I know what it’s like constantly having to double-check everything, clean, follow routines, and check in with loved ones. And I also know how depressing it can be. [READ: Meditation For Depression].
So let’s get through this together.
As a meditation teacher, I have helped many people to control OCD with meditation. Let me show you how.
Let me show you how to get the most out of meditation.
Come meditate with me today!
Guided Meditation For OCD & Obsessive Thoughts [Script]
*For best results, book a private meditation lesson with me today.
- Sit somewhere quiet and relaxing. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Roll your shoulders then let them relax. Lightly press your tongue against your hard palate. Keep your spine straight but relaxed. Slightly lower your neck to elongate your spine.
- Focus on the sensation of your breathing entering through your mouth. Notice how your breath flows throughout your body.
- Focus on breathing as you take 108 breaths
- During this process, if obsessive thoughts arise, remember Dr Schwartz’ advice. Use the 4 R’s: Relabel, Reattribute, Refocus, and Revalue. I will explain these 4 R’s…
- Relabel: Notice when you are having obsessive thoughts and label them. For instance, say to yourself, “This is an obsessive thought.”
- Reattribute: Tell yourself that it is your condition that is creating the obsessive thought.
- Refocus: Focus on something else.
- Revalue: Stop reacting to thoughts in such an extreme way. Pay them less credence.
- Continue for 20 minutes.
Alternatives:
- Anapanasati (for relaxation)
- Vipassana (for self-awareness)
- Mindfulness (for self-awareness)
- Guided meditation for OCD (for relaxation). Note that research from Harvard Medical School [2019] shows that guided meditations are not as effective as traditional methods.
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (for changing thoughts and behaviors)
Other treatment options:
- Psychotherapy
- Medication
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
How To Meditate With OCD And Obsessive, Intrusive Thoughts
It can be challenging for people with OCD to meditate.
For starters, many people have a negative view of the practice. Many do not believe it can help with OCD. And it can be hard to focus on meditating with OCD.
Here on some tips to help you.
1: Just gently return the mind to the breath
One of the many problems when meditating with OCD is that it is hard to focus the mind on the breath. In fact, this isn’t just people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. It’s beginner meditators in general.
It’s important to remember that you don’t need to be perfect. It is natural for your mind to wander. It’s normal to experience thoughts and feelings during meditation.
You can’t be mindful one hundred percent of the time. That’s okay. All you need to do is gently return your awareness to your breath. Just notice when your mind is wandering and return your mind to the breath when you can. Perfection is not important.
2: Dealing with intrusive thoughts
One of the many problems that people with OCD have when meditating is that they think thoughts are failures.
In fact, lots of my students come to me with this belief. They think that when they meditate the mind should be completely quiet. This simply is not the nature of the mind. Mental activity is normal.
All you need to do is know you are experiencing thoughts. Simply observe and label your thoughts, which is a method used in Buddhist Vipassana. And then return to focusing on the breath. Do not be self-critical.
3: Accept that obsessive thoughts will occur
We all have an ideal state that we want to get into when we meditate. We want the mind to be quiet so that we can feel tranquil. But this is usually not what happens when a person with OCD meditates. Usually, their condition tries to bully them.
You’re sitting there focusing your mind on your breath when suddenly your OCD tells you that you need to get up and perform your ritual. That’s fine. Just notice it. Accept it.
Observe the nature of your condition and do your best to continue focusing on your breath. If you need to perform your ritual, that’s fine. It’s not ideal. But it’s fine. Just be mindful of what is happening.
4: Peace is not the objective
Everyone thinks that when they meditate, they will automatically feel peaceful. However, this oftentimes is not the case. Furthermore, peace is not the goal.
The goal of mindfulness is to simply observe the mind. If you’re meditating and you feel anxious, that’s okay. Just label the emotion and return to the breath.
5: There are no grades in meditation
One of the biggest problems when meditating with OCD is that you feel like you want the meditation to go well. You have an idea of what a good and a bad meditation look like. But there really is no good or bad in meditation.
The entire nature of mindfulness is acceptance. Don’t judge your practice and do not be self-critical. Simply observe your mind.
Scientific Benefits of Meditation For Intrusive Thoughts And OCD
Scientific research shows that there are many benefits of mindfulness meditation for obsessive thoughts [a].
Let’s take a look at some of those benefits.
Helps Your Brain
For starters, there’s the effect that meditation has on the Frontal Lobe and the Basal Ganglia.
Research shows that, in people with OCD, an overactive basal ganglion (a group of structures found deep within the cerebral hemispheres) stops communicating with the frontal lobe (orbitofrontal cortex & anterior cingulate gyrus).
OCD also causes an underactive “nucleus accumbens”. This is a region of the brain involved in the cognitive processing of motor function. According to researchers (Figee et al) from Amsterdam’s Academic Medical Center, this leads to a continual need for dopamine. [citation: National Institute of Health]. And this contributes to OCD.
So, what does that have to do with mindfulness?
Research shows that meditation reduces the activity of the basal ganglia. Meanwhile, it increases activity in the frontal lobe and nucleus accumbens. This reduces the need for dopamine hits.
Plus, meditation increases communication between the basal ganglia and frontal lobe. Hence how it helps with OCD. [b].
Meditation also helps with the 4 R’s
One of the best things about using meditation for obsessive thoughts is that it helps with the popular treatment option called the “4 R’s”, created by American psychiatrist Jeffrey Schwartz.
Dr. Schwartz has been treating OCD for decades. And his number one method has remained the same. He. uses the Buddhist practice known as mindfulness meditation for OCD
“One evening, while out of the office, Schwartz realized his patients needed more to do, something to focus on besides the intrusive thoughts,” says Steve Volk, writing for Discover Magazine.
“He thought back over the practice of mindfulness and found an analogy he liked. In meditation, if he became emotionally invested in a particular train of thought, he sought to refocus himself by drawing his attention back to his breathing.”
Using that same concept, he recommended that his patients replace monitoring their breath with monitoring whatever behavior they found most compelling.
He instructed his patients to replace their OCD behavior with one healthy alternative. Each time a patient had an episode, they would replace it with an alternative. For instance, going for a walk.
The 4 R’s: Relabel, Reattribute, Refocus, Revalue
According to Harley Therapy, Schwartz’s treatment uses four steps: — relabel, reattribute, refocus, and revalue [4].
The fourth step is crucial and can take time to learn. Schwartz called this step Revaluing. The obsessive thoughts that patients once considered so necessary were to be systematically deconstructed, understood, and revalued.
Schwartz recommended that his patients revalue obsessive thoughts as “trash … not worth the grey matter they rode in on.” Conversely, Schwartz’s patients learned to place a high value on performing different actions that were not based on their OCD.
Schwartz’s four steps worked, but it wasn’t easy. It took what Schwartz described as “a tremendous force of will.” It was hard for people with OCD to follow the 4Rs.
To help, Schwartz prescribed mindfulness meditation for obsessive thoughts. And subsequently, more scientific research has confirmed that there are indeed big benefits of this practice.
With mindfulness, patients are given a healthy, empowering, and natural way of treating obsessive-compulsive disorder. Plus, it is quite easy, especially if you work with a professional such as myself (you might like to book an online meditation lesson with me).
Summary
In many ways, dealing with OCD is like dealing with other negative thoughts. The problem is that we allow our thoughts to dictate our actions. Therefore, when someone experiences an OCD thought, they soon act on it.
By using a combination of mindfulness and the 4Rs, we can learn to change the way we process those thoughts. In so doing, we can prevent those thoughts from directing our actions. Ultimately, this gives us power over OCD.
For help with this, book an online meditation lesson with me today.
SOURCES:
1: Anxiety And Depression Association of America, https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd
2: Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for OCD, Jon Hershfield, MFT, & Tom Corboy, MFT, Interntional OCD Foundation, https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/mindfulness-and-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-for-ocd/
3: OCD UK, Howard Hughes, https://www.ocduk.org/ocd/history-of-ocd/howard-hughes/
4: Self-Help: Managing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – Schwartz’ Four Step Method, https://www.harleytherapy.co.uk/counselling/managing-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd.htm
a: Jon Hershfield, MFT, & Tom Corboy, MFT, Interntional OCD Foundation
b: Masahiro Fujino et. al., Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University
Paul Harrison is a passionate meditation teacher who believes in genuine, authentic meditation. He has more than 15 years experience in meditation and mindfulness. He studied meditation in beautiful Oxford, UK, and Hamilton Ontario Canada, and earned his degree at Staffordshire University.
“My goal is to provide the most authentic meditation sessions so you can harness the power of your own mind for personal transformation” – Paul Harrison