Obsessive Compulsive Disorder/obsessive thinking (OCD)

If you can’t stop your brain from thinking about certain thoughts or repeating particular behaviors over and over again, it’s called OCD.

A great deal of research has shown there are particular areas in the front of the brain that often are implicated in this problem. When that part of the brain runs too slow or too fast, the person is unable to switch gears, or to put on the brakes. Literally they can’t stop thinking or doing something even when they try.

Sometimes medications help, but often they don’t. All medications have certain side effects that can occur.

A logical solution is – why not change that part of the brain that is “stuck” so that it can turn off the constant repetition of thoughts or behaviors can stop.

That technology now exists – using neurofeedback. Many clients and therapists who use neurofeedback have reported very good success in reducing OCD after training their clients. In essence, it trains the individual to “shut it off.”

Patients report after training, they don’t really have to work at shutting down thoughts or behaviors as much. It just doesn’t happen as much – their mind is much more quiet. Apparently the brain is able to manage these issues in a more normal way after training.

It’s one of the most exciting new interventions that is available for OCD. Unfortunately, most MD’s and therapists are unfamiliar with the technology and its application to OCD. It’s complex and takes a lot of education for professionals to adopt it. At the Center for Brain Training, we have been studying and working with this new technology for many years.