SOPHROLOGY TO THE HELP OF OCD PATIENTS
Sophrology allows physical and mental relaxation, through abdominal breathing and full awareness of the presence of your body and the present moment. The sophrologist will bring the patient to a modified state of consciousness, to experience pleasant sensations. In this particular state, between wakefulness and sleep, the activity of the brain is in alpha waves, that is to say the waves of imagination, creation, meditation.
How can sophrology help treat OCD?
Thus, by working and using his five VAKOG senses (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, gustatory), the patient can project himself into a pleasant and reassuring situation. This state of well-being stimulates the brain to release more endorphins (serotonin, dopamine, etc.), hormones that are lacking in a state of stress. The patient will thus find “homeostasis”, that is to say harmony between body and mind (calm, relaxation, serenity, etc.). The goal is also to understand the existence (and sometimes the origin) of these anxieties and to deprogram the bad messages they send to the brain. Calm and more lucid, the patient will be able, with the sophrologist, to establish the link that exists between his anxieties, his emotions and the reactions of his body. He will be able to take a step back, have another point of view on his life. This is the start of reprogramming new behaviors.
What are the principles of the EFT technique?
EFT is a therapy that works at the bodily, emotional, energetic and psychological levels. This is a very effective method of dealing with trauma and helps to break free from emotional blockages, limiting beliefs and negative thought systems that arise from them. By releasing the emotions linked to anxiety-inducing memories or thoughts, EFT removes the blockage (s) in the body's energy system that are the causes of discomfort and their symptoms. The principle is to stimulate specific points on the face, chest and hand by hitting them with two fingers. These “tapping” are accompanied by a speech aimed at recognizing one's problem, while accepting and appreciating oneself as one is. Then, to deprogram the behavior resulting from the problem, and finally to reprogram a new attitude.
To what extent is relaxation therapy intended for children?
According to our specialist, sophrology is for children from 3 years old. However, from 3 to 6 years old, the sessions are quite similar to initiations in yoga, since everything is based on discoveries of his body and his breathing.
Over 6 years and up to 12 years, the sessions will be adapted to this young audience. Then after the age of 12, the sessions start to look like classic sessions.
What happens during a session ?
Each child will experience the sessions differently. But in general, children will react quite quickly to external stimuli and can quickly become distracted. The sessions are therefore shorter, the exercises are more fun or colorful (based on stories or tales , for example) but the goal is the same: to succeed in transforming these emotions / reactions into a positive through exercises.
During the first session, the sophrologist will initiate the dialogue and seek to identify the origin of the problem, in order to best adapt the exercises. Then, the sessions will start with a discussion, before moving on to the practice phase. Firstly, sophrology will seek to expel negative tensions from the body, then secondly, restore internal balance and finally develop one's ability to remain positive. To do this, many exercises are imagined for letting go.
During the sessions, the parents do not need to be present, especially if the sessions take place at home: the child will indeed feel safe. Then you, the parents, can play a role when it comes to re-explaining the exercises to be repeated outside of the sessions, or even performing them with them.
What are the reasons for bringing your child to see a sophrologist?
Many causes can lead a child to consult a sophrologist. Here are the most common:
- The stress in children , often linked to school or to the family and social context.
- The trouble sleeping , trouble falling asleep, nightmares
- Self-esteem , from which some states of depression arise
- Impulses and fears (some children will hit, bite, be aggressive ...)
Is healing possible? When to treat OCD?
Acting as quickly as possible and as soon as symptoms appear is important. And this, even if they occur during childhood. It is indeed easier to take care of them from the start. When they have been installed for a long time, sometimes for several years, it becomes more complex. Particularly if OCD reaches the stage of severe neurosis associated with other pathologies such as severe phobias. However, it is possible to break free from obsessive anxieties and help deprogram them and reprogram new behavior, at any time. But it can take a long time in some cases.
In practice, how many sessions must be performed before obtaining a result?
It depends on each person and the type of disorder they have. OCDs vary widely and can often be related to other issues. The number of sessions with the sophrologist vary from 3 or 4 to a dozen appointments and sometimes more. They can last from one to several months, depending on the person's profile and the complexity of their OCD.
Thanks to the learning of EFT in the office, the patient will be able to manage the OCD crisis alone, when it appears, by practicing this technique on himself. This will bring down very quickly, almost immediately, the emotional level, the stress and therefore, will interrupt the infernal and vicious cycle of the obsessive rite (OCD) and revalue its own image, regain its self-confidence.
