How to stop OCD?

I understand that you have a problem that bothers you, but unless a doctor has diagnosed the problem as OCD I wouldn't assume that this is the diagnosis.I'll give you some info about OCD, but first I'd like to say this. 

I've written a lot of answers to anxiety questions, with info about treatments and stress management methods, which can help even with very bad anxiety.You're welcome to click on my name and read.

When we have a lot of anxiety, it puts worrisome thoughts into our heads. There's two ways to get rid of those thoughts.

One is just to calm down. The easiest way to do this is to breathe slowly till you feel OK Two psychiatrists, Brown and Gerbarg, say a 10 or 20 min slow breathing exercise - 5 breaths a min - is good and 20 min twice a day is a therapy for anxiety. The exercise is inhale and exhale gently, 6 seconds each.

When you're calm, you can think your way through a problem instead of just worrying about it. Think about the worst thing that can happen, how likely that is and what you could do if it happens. In a stressful situation, think about the different ways you can respond and decide which one is the most intelligent.

Don't make mountains out of molehills.

When you use the thinking brain, you get control of the emotional brain, and you feel better.

Also, replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. Count your blessings and remind yourself of your successes.

I'm not saying that this advice is all you need. The best thing might be seeing a qualified professional.

If you go to the Amazon ad for You Are Not Your Brain by psychiatrist Jeffrey Schwartz, you'll see that people with OCD think very highly of this book. You can also hear the testimonials of readers on YouTube.

As this article shows, Dr Schwartz developed a therapy for OCD that has been validated with brain scan studies.

https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/rewiring-the...

Dr Schwartz says that OCD can be treated with these four steps:

1) Relabel the obsessive thoughts and compulsive urges as obsessions and compulsions, not as real thoughts.

2) Reattribute the obsessive thoughts to a brain malfunction called OCD.

3) Refocus on a wholesome, productive activity for at least fifteen minutes.

4) Revalue the entire obsession and compulsion group as having no useful meaning in your life.

He's one of the many mental health professionals who believe in mindfulness. If you're interested,

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