My Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Analysis

Anxiety is more than just a reaction one experiences during stressful times. Rather, it is a feeling of constant paranoia, of constant fear, that takes over one’s daily routines. Anxiety, however, is never stagnant – it can evolve from simply being anxious about an upcoming midterm, of an upcoming speech or presentation to having mental breakdowns, panic attacks and even having obsessive thoughts that plague one’s imagination, mind and thoughts. In my case, anxiety is only a symptom of my obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). From either living in constant paranoia and fear of either contracting an illness or being contaminated by germs to having obsessive thoughts, throughout high school, my anxiety and OCD prevented me from developing healthy relationships with others, having healthy well being and pursuing certain interests, like sports and traveling. Mental disorders, however, are not permanent. With the right …show more content…
Through the usage of “roadblocks,” such as the usage of blindfolds, Pascual-Leone discovered that the usage of “roadblocks” promote the development of new pathway by blocking other competitive circuits. In the case of my anxiety and OCD, by refocusing my attention to another activity, I can block the firing of the faulty circuits, thus allowing my brain to develop otherwise newer circuits. Once the newer circuits are developed, through competitive neuroplasticity, the brain can reorganize and drop the now obsolete circuits. Thus, through Schwartz’s relabeling and refocusing exercises, I can control the extent in which OCD and anxiety influences my decisions by reorganizing the neural pathways in my brain and developing new