Freedom comes when a person trapped in a habit learns, “It’s not me…it’s my OCD!”

Achieve Change by Finding YOU

There has been some significant healing and help for OCD (obsessive, compulsive disorder) patients, and for people with chronic depression, by teaching them to separate behavior from identity. The technique actually alters the brain’s chemistry, and the implications are mind bogglingly powerful for all of us.

From my perspective, the technique simply puts the patient in the driver’s seat. They get to make conscious choices about who, or what, will be in control. Here’s how it works…

At the beginning of this research project, the OCD patients were victims of their condition. The obsessive, compulsive disorder was in control, causing behavior such as checking to see if the front door was locked 12 times, or ritualistic, repetitive hand washing. What the patient didn’t know was this: The behavior was caused by faulty wiring and imbalanced chemistry in the brain. And because the patient didn’t know that, their thought pattern was, “I perform these acts.”

Change came when a therapist would teach the patient about the true nature of the condition. When the person got to the point where they were able to use mindfulness (being in the moment) to simply observe the behavior, they came to realize that the person OBSERVING the behavior was a different part of them than the person DOING the behavior. And that led to choice.

When that state was reached, not only did it literally change the chemistry in the patient’s brain, the patient also came to understand that they had control over their person, and their behavior, and could choose the identity they wanted…the one observing the behavior didn’t have to perform the behavior. That understanding and belief gave quick and significant improvement.

The same technique was used with chronically depressed patients. When they were able to mindfully observe themselves following faulty thinking (i.e. “…because I messed up, I am a failure, and will never amount to anything, so what’s the use of trying…”), they, too, through merely taking the posture of the observer, were able to gain control and make a new choice as to WHOM they wanted to be. And THAT automatically resulted in a different type of behavior.

Observing your actions in a state of “being-present-in-the-moment-mindfulness” will set you free, too. It gives you a new platform on which to view reality, and the choices available to you in your reality. You may observe yourself acting out in anger, but are you an angry person? You may see yourself procrastinating, but are you a procrastinator? WHO you believe you are will directly, immediately and sustainably change what you DO.

Are you tired of doing the same disgusting things? Do you feel like there is no hope? Truth is: You are not stuck. You are not trapped. You are not a victim. If you think you are, take a step back and OBSERVE your stuck-edness, your trap-edness, your victim-edness…then ask yourself, “Is this who I really am?” If it is, choose it, embrace it, own it. But if it is not, then choose the “YOU” you want to be. Feel the power of being in control, and watch how your life will change…instantly.

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This article is part of our ongoing Achievement Nudge series—short, witty, and often inspirational articles to spark your personal and professional growth. Explore more nudges on our blog, or sign up for our weekly Nudge and News email. Each edition includes an Achievement Nudge plus leadership, professional development, and personal growth videos and articles to keep you inspired and on track.