Always look at the dangers of constellations

The line between obsessive-compulsive disorder and superstition, belief and eccentricity seems a little blurred.

Suppose someone wears the same jersey in every football match, he thinks that if he doesn't do this, the team he supports will definitely lose. What's the difference between this and those who count ceiling tiles over and over again? They think that if the number of ceiling tiles is not calculated correctly, bad things will happen.

Most of us hold beliefs that are inconsistent with logic. Religious belief, superstition, knocking on wood to eliminate bad luck, and having a pair of lucky underwear-these are all considered quite normal. The general belief is that even if our beliefs are illogical or unprovable, there is no reason to worry. Believing that behaviors that will make you safe or prevent things from happening are part of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Chloe lives in London and is a 26-year-old account manager. She has been suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder since childhood. In recent years, she has been obsessed with astrology. Chloe said: "I have many different astrology applications, so I will check them one by one to see what they have said, and then interpret them in the most extreme way." If someone says to avoid conflict, I don't think I can tell anyone, lest it turn into a quarrel. I'm afraid to talk, because my astrology application says that if I do this, everything will go wrong. There was once an application that told me that a relationship might be in conflict. I was dating someone, so I didn't send him a message all day because I was sure he would dump me. "

Chloe said: "If my astrology application says something that makes me feel bad, I will go straight into compulsive mode and do all the previous compulsive behaviors-mainly checking and counting-to protect myself." This is not to say that horoscopes predicted by astrology are the main culprit of Chloe's obsessive-compulsive disorder spiral, but because they can easily prompt people to form obsessive-compulsive disorder patterns.

"It's easy to be fascinated, because it makes my ideas more weighty. Under normal circumstances, my obsessive-compulsive disorder will make me feel that "bad things" will happen, but if someone questions this, I can't explain why. " Chloe said.

Astrology can provide a good hotbed for unhealthy dependence, and it can also change people's behavior to meet recommended standards. They can provide comfort and make exams an impulse to comfort themselves. Claire Bogen, a 32-year-old publicist, was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder in her twenties. Her intrusive thoughts are often out of her control, and her compulsion is a way to ensure that something will or will not happen.

Claire explained: "For example, when my boyfriend and I break up, I will tell myself that I must win a squash game (I often play squash), and then he will come back. I have experienced a period of making promises to myself through wishes, constellations and achievements. I am superstitious about them. " Claire looked at the constellations for the first time just to create a sense of control. She found comfort in the positive prediction of the future days, but when her obsessive-compulsive disorder broke out, she found herself paranoid. She explained: "I didn't even dare to leave home during the severe anxiety attack." It's a comfort if I know what will happen next. "

Obsessive-compulsive disorder patients often question whether what they do is hurting themselves or curing themselves-whether they are treating stress with truly relaxing behavior or forcing themselves just for short-term pleasure. When 2 1 year-old Ambre became interested in astrology, she had to carefully deal with the relationship between astrology and obsessive-compulsive disorder diagnosed at the age of 16. Ambre said: "My obsessive-compulsive disorder is mainly manifested in injury intrusion, existential meditation, obsession with numbers, and their so-called' safe' and' unsafe' attributes. For many years, I can't do anything about odd numbers, because in my mind, odd numbers mean misfortune and my family will be hurt. Astrology is a new way to see the world and know yourself. As long as I don't let myself get too entangled in astrology, I will feel very comfortable. "

Ambre is being treated to see if his interest in constellations is under control. She said: "I haven't changed my behavior (because of astrology), because I am in the recovery period of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and I know it will be a downhill road." "Most of the time, I will check my horoscope, but I will use the astrology application after the weekend, not at the beginning of the weekend, so as to protect myself from thinking about what may happen, but to reflect on what has happened. Self-awareness and self-reflection are crucial to the rehabilitation of obsessive-compulsive disorder. "

Astrology is not an evil force that needs to be completely abandoned. It can provide an assessment of daily life and a way of self-reflection. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder know that any compulsive behavior may become unhealthy. The trick is to know the boundary between pleasant interests and beliefs that bother you.

Professor Stephen Palmer, a psychologist at the Stress Management Center, explained: "A key factor of obsessive-compulsive disorder is that your ritualized thinking and behavior are disturbing your life and making you feel anxious. The question you have to ask yourself is: Do I take the constellation too seriously? Am I thinking over and over about the fortune prediction of astrology? Am I using the constellation to divert my attention, because it helps to relieve my anxiety temporarily? When you can't read your horoscope, will your anxiety increase? If you think your relationship with the constellation may be unhealthy, consult a psychologist. Even if looking at the horoscope can temporarily relieve anxiety, in the long run, repetitive behavior may make you more painful. "

It is impossible to quit smoking suddenly, especially when your obsession reaches its limit. Similarly, you can gradually reduce your dependence on horoscopes, but you can't completely avoid talking about other people's horoscopes and astrology pages in your favorite magazines. However, what you can do is to learn not to give the constellation too much power. You should realize that you are not responsible for anything bad. You should know that you can check the horoscope, but you can't believe that the horoscope is completely correct.