The reasons behind our behaviours are complex and often far from obvious. Sometimes our behaviour can be damaging to us and those around us. In these cases it can help hugely to take an analytical and honest look at what motivates, reinforces and perpetuates these behaviours as part of the process to put you back in charge of your actions.
The Anxiety-based root of compulsion
The behaviour is driven by the compulsion, the compulsion is caused by fear, the fear is the result of anxiety.
When anxiety takes hold it has many noticeable direct symptoms that can be easy to link to their source. However, long-standing anxiety that has been left to flourish can result in some unusual secondary symptoms and behaviours that are less easy to explain simply. Associated with anxiety is the perceived loss of control over events that affect the sufferer. This is in contrast to those without anxiety who instinctively accept that they can only control their own actions and the consequences and feel no need to control anything beyond that. The anxiety-sufferer feels less in control of their own actions, totally at-odds with and pessimistic of external events and therefore tries to exert their influence in irrational ways. This can lead to compulsive actions, followed by a fear of the consequences of not keeping-up these irrational actions which becomes a compulsion to always do these actions and an entrenched pattern of behaviour is established. In time this pattern of behaviour can develop and broaden through simple fear of what will happen should they stop.
Addressing the compulsive behaviour with Hypnotherapy
Similarly to the treatment of Phobias, the sufferer can be encourage to test the boundaries of their discomfort and fear incrementally. The safe environment of Hypnosis is ideal for this to occur and, typically, rapid progress can be made in reduction and, ultimately, eradication of the compulsion. Once this breakthrough has been made in one specific area of compulsion the progress generalises to all others and indirect improvements are achieved across the board.
In addition to address the symptomatic behaviour, it is ideal to also tackle the underlying anxiety at the heart of the issue. Again, Hypnotherapy is the optimum tool for this task.