Primarily known as a disorder of the affluent West, obsessive compulsive disorder is categorized as an anxiety disorder. It is characterized by recurrences of unreasonable compulsions. In a classic obsessive compulsive disorder case, the patient suffers from compulsions that consume a lot of time. They are usually unreasonable but the non fulfillment of the same causes much distress or sometimes even impairment to the patient.
The incidence of obsessive compulsive disorder is about fifteen times more in the US and the UK than in Asia. China especially boasts of a significantly low incidence of obsessive compulsive disorder. It is believed that the many ancient Chinese healing techniques help maintain such a high quality of health and well being that the Chinese stay away from most lifestyle diseases and even many of the psychological ones.
A person suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder can often have ideas, imagination, thoughts and even impulses that are considered inappropriate in many cultures. The individual however is usually not able to recognize the inappropriateness of their thoughts and actions. In some cases, the patient may realize how absurd their thoughts are but they are unable to deviate in even the slightest manner.
Fear of contamination, repeated doubts and suspicions, even obsessive sexual imageries are some common obsessions that people tend to suffer from. Though the individual does try to suppress some of these impulses, in a long term scenario suppression of such impulses becomes impossible. The more these urges and impulses are suppressed, the more anxiety and stress it creates.
Acupuncture, an ancient Chinese technique, has been successfully used to reduce symptoms and anxiety related to Acupuncture. Organs and parts of body which can help reduce the effects of the disorder have been identified and acupuncture works to relieve the energies pent up in several parts of our body to induce healing.
Nourishment of the kidneys, for this particular purpose has been advised. The ultimate aim of this exercise is to connect the patient to one of the five elements – water. The water channels therefore are picked first to be worked upon. The second point is the heart. The disturbed state of the heart too can induce the anxiety related to obsessive compulsion. The fire channels or the blood vessels that carry blood and oxygen and help create heat in the body due to the oxidation of nutrients are treated next.
The liver, in which stagnation could occur due to the accumulation of bile juices, gets the attention after the fire channels. Healthy functioning of liver is very much essential for the healthy flow of chi throughout the body. The liver channels or the wood channels are treated for those patients who haven’t been able to find and unite with their spirit.