Mental intruders, anxiety inducers, time consumers: these are just a few ways
to classify compulsions and obsessions characterized by Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder (OCD). From the woman who counts repetitively, to the man who cleans
incessantly, these rituals cross the line from belonging to a healthy
individual to a pathological individual when they interfere with daily life and
consume all daily thoughts (1). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders states that the essential characteristics of OCD consist of recurrent
obsessions that require time spent of more than one hour a day, cause a great
deal of stress and anxiety, and that the person is aware that the obsessions
are irrational and excessive (2).
Western medicine has not been able to track down a solid pattern as to why OCD
occurs in some people and not others, though there does sometimes seem to be a
genetic component. The one thing they have noticed is that the disorder
involves much fear and anxiety. Some common obsessions include fear of germs or
intruders, violence or hurting loved ones, sexual imagery, conflicting thoughts
with religious beliefs or organizing. Some people become hoarders due to the
fear of throwing anything away that they may need. Some people repeat the same
actions over and over again due to doubt that it was done the first time. Some
people perform actions a certain number of times due to superstitions about
“bad numbers”. People who suffer from OCD do not get satisfaction from
performing rituals; they simply have a brief lapse in anxiety that returns
within seconds after the ritual has finished (1).
In the West, OCD is treated with psychotherapy and medication. Exposure and
Response Prevention Therapy is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that has
been designed to lower the anxiety levels of a person with OCD through exposure
to the things the patient most fears. The patient makes a list of what they
fear and of what they think will happen if exposed to that fear. They are then
put in situations where they are exposed to the very thing they fear the most.
They are asked to rate on a scale of 1-10 where their anxiety lies and over the
next couple of minutes they remain exposed until their anxiety level lowers to
a 2-3. This procedure repeats itself until the initial spike of anxiety is 2-3,
and the time taken to come down from the initial spike is within seconds (3).
This type of therapy is effective because it shows the patient that their anxiety
can be calmed without performing rituals, or avoiding the anxiety inducing
situation all together.
Eastern
medicine has come to the same conclusion that the root of OCD lies within fear.
Fear resides within the kidneys and can arise from a deficiency of kidney Jing,
Yin, Yang or Qi. This relates to why there is sometimes a genetic component in
OCD where if the parents have weak Jing at the moment of conception, this will
be passed onto the offspring as a weak pre-natal Jing. Of course,
manifestations of OCD can be seen in relation to other organs as well. Water is
the mother of wood and if water is deficient then it fails to nourish wood
which could give rise to Liver Blood deficiency, or Liver Qi stagnation. Blood
deficiency can give rise to internal wind which can be seen in tics and tremors
often associated with OCD rituals, as well as Qi stagnation can give rise to
irritability and anger. Water controls Fire and when water is deficient it is
unable to control fire which can give rise to Heart Fire or Heart Blood
deficiency. This can be seen in OCD symptoms such as poor sleep, easily
startled, palpitations, poor memory and restlessness (2).
Whatever
the symptoms, strengthening the kidneys will be of upmost importance when
treating OCD with acupuncture and herbal medicine. The main points to treat the
kidneys are DU4, Ren4, BL23, KD3 (Qi), KD6 (Yin), and KD7 (Yang). If the
symptoms lie more within the liver a good combination would be KD10 with LV8 -
using kidney water to nourish liver wood. If the symptoms lie more within the
heart then the Buddhist triangle (HT7, PC6, and LU9) would be good to calm the
spirit and nourish the heart. A good herbal formula with which to begin is Jin
Gui Shen Qi Wan due to its mild action in tonifying Kidney Qi and Yang, and in
turn, Yin and Jing. This can be modified for liver symptoms by adding the formula
Yi Guan Jian to address the live deficiency and stagnation. This can also be
modified for heart symptoms by adding the individual herbs Shi Chang Pu to
clear the mind or Suan Zao Ren to help with sleep disturbances. Many
practitioners will also advise their patient to ask themselves throughout the
day, “how much am I like water at this very moment?” At first, they may not
feel very much like water at all, but overtime they can see themselves flowing
freely and becoming more and more uninhibited (2).
2. Kraft, Norman.
“Unquiet Waters: Obsessive Compulsive Disorders & Chinese Medicine.”
Oriental Medicine Journal Spring/Summer 2000: 37-50. Print.
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