The Reiki Cafe 

Does anyone here have OCD ( Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ) or treated any OCD cases using Reiki. I myself suffer quite badly and the Reiki has helped loads but i just wanted to know if anyone has any tips... The area´s that are affected strongly by this are my Sacral Chakra, Liver and Limbic system and then when times are bad, the whole system is obviously affected. I cope most of the time and am making fantastic progress with healing and resisting the compulsions but when i get over tired my anxiety levels increase to unbearable levels and then i just have to sit and go through the anxiety, cos i dont want to do the compulsions... this is such a strain on my liver, i can feel it hurting from the stress. i try gorging down bars and bars of chocolate.. i tell myself i need it for the serotonin ;o) ! of course then the sugar just makes things worse... oooh thats better now iv got that of my chest actually. As i said all is usually well, its just something i have to deal with whilst things get better little by little. but any tips or recovery stories or Reiki related info on it would be fantastic! Thank you xxx

roxylady,

/*\ Namaste :-))

- for some, the nature of the obsessive thoughts and the compulsive behaviors may give clues as to where to focus intention and Reiki practices (this would perhaps allow some mediation at the 'front end' where our perceptions are transmogrified into obsessive thoughts that raise the anxieties)

- one of the issues with compulsions as well, of course, is that though they start as defenses against anxiety, after some period the anxiety may occur as well if one tries to substitute another activity for the compulsive behavior - one has significant anxiety at the idea of not carrying out the repetitive, ritualized behavior(s)

- there are behavioral psychology techniques that can be effective with OCD but only thru therapy with trained and licensed folk - self-behavior modification has a notoriously low rate of long term success if the condition is moderate to severe

- but, I think that Reiki that aides us in clearing our perceptions of our world, of which relationships are a part, can help intervene with the repetive, irrational thoughts from which the whole syndrom arises

- hope this helps

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Dear Roxy,
A first step too is being aware of what our obsessive thoughts could be which is achieved with meditation as FK suggested or/and by making the intention to be more aware of what we are thinking and then maybe writing down that thought in a journal to acknowledge it. Posting it like you did was the right thing to do as well.
peace,
Prosperity

by the way...I do have some OCD stuff. Don't we all to some degree?
peace,
Prosperity

Hi Roxy, A suggestion, not Reiki but something that I have used with OCD patients, could you trying a combinaton of tapping and NLP? It has had amazing success with the people I have worked on pm me for more detailed info.
Annie

Greetings, Roxylady!
How courageous you are to put this out there.
My first thought is that you should stop the chocolate right away! When my anxiety levels are up, I immediately look to how my diet has been---and usually it's been full of sugar! I also stop caffeine for a while (though I usually have 1 cup of coffee a day, I seem to be very sensitive to it.)
Here's how I think it plays out---sugar taxes the adrenals and causes them function inappropriately. As well, the sudden fall of blood sugar makes the adrenaline pump, and we feel anxious. So we eat more sugar to comfort! It gets to be a vicious circle.
Try protein snacks and complex carbs every two hours to regulate your blood sugar levels. I've also learned that calcium is crucial, as well as Vitamin C and of course your B complexes. (I have just read that inositol is helpful with anxiety and OCD, though I didn't know what it was before this moment---I googled it and it looks interesting!)
And don't forget to breathe!
Go in Peace,
Hanhepi Wi Winyan

prosperity,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- did you mis-read 'mediation' in my post for meditation?

- although learning and practicing meditation might be of some value to some at some point in dealing with their OCD

- yes, many people probably have some little ritual(s) that they really prefer to be able to do each day - mine is to have my coffee in hand first thing each morning before doing anything else

>:-}}

- would I become excessively anxious or distressed if I did not complete this 'ritual' some morning? No.

>:-})

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Dear FK,
You are correct and very observant. I did read meditation rather than mediation. Wasn't wearing my glasses. Good point about becoming "excessively" stressed if a ritual is not completed. It was also interesting about the comment Roxy made about OCD affecting the liver and limbic system.
peace,
Prosperity

Thank you, i find what you all say very intersting. I´m just mulling it all over. x

prosperity,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- chronic stress and anxiety may affect many organs or systems since we each have those that are 'more vulnerable' than others (acute stress may also have adverse effects but these may be remedied more readily than the effects of prolonged stress)

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Its funny i dont have much sugar in my diet and the chocolate really seems to help... It suddenly clicked last night though that i have unintentionally stopped eating cheese and yoghurt and stuff (also here in spain its hard to get hold of fresh milk and i hate the UHT stuff, so i havent been drinking any milk) so as a vegetarian i am probably missing my calcium.... Its funny cos after eating several huge bars of chocolate i used to feel sick. but last night after a binge on two bars i just felt a whole lot better. When i stayed with my parents in england two weeks ago... i had no access to chocolate (they dont have anything so indulgent in the house and live in the middle of nowhere!) they had dark chocolate but this didnt satisfy me down... so i settled for cocoa powder in hot milk with a spoonful of honey... and it settled my anxiety perfectly... and much better for me too.

iv been craving spinach and nuts and seeds too.... my body was a´calling for calcium.. so i will make sure i get it from now on....that way, i can stay the same jean size!

Very interesting i didnt know calcium was related to anxiety.

x

Also, unfortunately i had to give up coffee a year ago, due to it giving me panick attacks... i have to settle for smelling the sweet aroma of it in another persons cup! :o(

x I imagine that one day i may treat myself to a double espresso with a drop of pouring cream.... oooo just thinking about it makes my knees week. x

Thanks for the info Annie, I find the NLP idea very interesting... i had maybe a "healing crisis" in march... where no matter how much i washed my hands i couldn´t get them clean. so was washing them up to fifteen times... the hand washing itself started to cause me anxiety and the relief i used to get from it turned into huge frustration and anxiety... so i had to stop it cos it had stopped helping me... gradually things got better and i feel through reiki practice i reprogrammed my mind in the way you say NLP does... and i didnt need to hand wash as my hands had become clean enough. However, it´s often two steps forward and one step back.

Maybe i am having another healing crisis cos my obsessive thoughts and compulsions were getting less and less and more manageble until this week and suddenly now I cant seem to distinguish between whats dirty and whats clean... it used to be so definite. I seem to be having a disagreement in my mind... and i hope that this is the reprogramming. Even though its a good thing, it does not come easily and i feel the anxiety is part of the reprogramming and letting go of old habits. I am also going to look into the tapping, cos that sounds incredibly interesting. and anything extra can only help.

x

Hi Roxy, glad to help, the tapping is amazing! have some fun with it. Just wish I was nearer to help more
Let me know how you get on
Annie

Have you ever looked into Emotional Freedom Technique? there seems to be alot of free information on it. It involves tapping acupuncture points while repeating a specific type of affirmation. I hear it is very helpful for almost any issue, including OCD. have not really had the time to get into it too much yet........many other things on my plate..........but maybe it would be for you?
Love,
Feather

Chocolate craving is spelled, "magnesium deficiency". LOL
Feather

Dear Feather,
Yes true and coffee and chocolate cravers need more beans like lima, pinto, kidney, navy etc. which have much magnesium.
peace,
Prosperity

Yes, Magnesium! i will try and incorporate more of that into my diet... "Tapping" is the same as "EFT" i think... it looks really intersting... Not quite sure on what affirmations to use yet, thinking about it... Kidney beans.. mmm... i shall stock up! :o) x

Hi Roxylady,

I too have OCD and mine always gets worse when I'm tired or stressed. By far the most effective therapy for me has been cognitive behavioral therapy. Although it doesn't completely cure OCD, it does really help you remain in control of it rather than being controlled by it.

Gentle Blessings
Helen

Thankyou. Iv heard and read a lot about CBT and i would like to try it. but being in spain im not really up for doing it in spanish. so i will look into that further when i get back to england next year.´Thank you. i have heard a lot of good things about it. x