Introduction

Do you ever feel like you have to do certain things, even if they don‘t make sense? Do you often feel overwhelmed by doubt or uncertainty? If so, you may be dealing with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Fortunately, there is a type of therapy designed to help people who struggle with OCD: exposure response prevention therapy (ERP).

What is Exposure Response Prevention Therapy?

Exposure response prevention therapy is a form of cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) that is specifically designed to help people who suffer from OCD. ERP is based on the idea that people with OCD become stuck in a cycle of fear and avoidance. ERP helps to break this cycle by gradually exposing a person to fear-inducing stimuli, such as a particular thought or situation and then teaching them to resist their urge to respond in a compulsive or avoid way. By gradually exposing a person to their fear, ERP helps them to gradually become less afraid and more able to cope with their fear in a healthy way. In addition, ERP helps to teach people to recognize and challenge their irrational thoughts and beliefs, which can help to reduce their anxiety and help them to cope with their OCD in a more productive way.

How Does ERP Help to Heal Doubt and Uncertainty?

ERP helps to heal doubt and uncertainty by teaching people to recognize and challenge their irrational thoughts and beliefs. By gradually exposing them to their fear, ERP helps them to become less afraid and more able to cope with their fear in a healthy way. When a person is dealing with OCD, they may become stuck in a cycle of fear and avoidance. ERP helps to break this cycle by gradually exposing a person to fear-inducing stimuli, such as a particular thought or situation and then teaching them to resist their urge to respond in a compulsive or avoid way. In addition, ERP helps to teach people to recognize and challenge their irrational thoughts and beliefs. This can help to reduce their anxiety and help them to cope with their OCD in a more productive way. ERP also helps to teach people to practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques. By teaching people to be mindful of their thoughts and feelings, ERP helps them to recognize when they are feeling overwhelmed by doubt or uncertainty and to practice relaxation techniques to help them cope with their anxiety.

Conclusion

Exposure response prevention therapy is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that is specifically designed to help people who suffer from OCD. ERP helps to break the fear and avoidance cycle by gradually exposing a person to a fear-inducing stimulus and then teaching them to resist their urge to respond in a compulsive or avoid way. In addition, ERP helps to teach people to recognize and challenge their irrational thoughts and beliefs, which can help to reduce their anxiety and help them to cope with their OCD in a more productive way. ERP also helps to teach people to practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques, which can help them to recognize when they are feeling overwhelmed by doubt or uncertainty and to practice relaxation techniques to help them cope with their anxiety.

Hands down OCD is one of the most difficult illnesses to deal with. Even the ‘World Health Organization’ places it in the top 10 of the most disabling conditions on the planet.

But let’s do a simple thought experiment. And let’s just apply it to one segment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Safety Checking OCD.

People with this disorder compulsively check things like the front door is locked, the power outlets are off, etc…

But why don’t we turn it on its head? Why don’t we imagine a world with ‘reverse checking OCD.’ This is a world where everyone is doing the complete opposite. This is a world where nobody checks.

Nobody checks the door’s locked, the stove is switched off and nobody checks the car handbrake is on.

The likelihood of bad accidents happening increases enormously. Car’s would run downhills smashing into fences. Houses would be easy pickings for thieves. And the bath faucets could be left on flooding the entire house…that’s why we need to be careful.

We need to check things. The scenario I just presented was the complete opposite. It ‘s a world of chaos. It’s the same as OCD…except everything is in reverse.

Like I said. We need to check. We need to be careful. But we don’t want to live in a world where we’re consumed with checking. We want safety while keeping our sanity.

The problem is that we are over-careful. Doubt and uncertainty rule our minds. We keep asking ourselves with “What if I didn’t lock the door.” Then we imagine the worst-case scenario.

But how about living in the best of both worlds. Why can’t we be super careful and yet create a certainty that contains it?

We can accomplish this. We can be super careful yet not be controlled by it.

We can do this through our memory. Or rather through a trained memory.

We can have the best of both worlds. A careful attitude to motivate us to check. And a system that makes us certain. To change ‘what if’ to ‘I know.’

In a way checking, OCD can be viewed as somewhat advantageous. It makes us careful but not careless.

The memory system I teach to overcome safety OCD checking helps to bring about this balance.

It returns our checking to a normal baseline. But with one big, enormous side benefit.

With time & with this system, we check as much as normal people but are more certain about the things we do check. At least that’s possible with my memory system.

If you would like to find out more about the system then please contact me at:

Learn More About This System- Contact Chris

 

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is quite literally one of the most difficult illnesses to deal with. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it ranks in the top 10.

Until the 1960’s most treatments barely made a dent.

Then in the mid-1960s, Victor Meyer came across some research that would become the standard therapy in treating OCD.

He found that when animals were exposed to the something that scared them eventually they became less scared. As long as they were made to face their fears directly, then any anxiety would dissipate through this exposure.

Now the medical profession had a viable tool to beat one of the fearsome and disabling illnesses on the planet.

Sounds great. A miracle cure…..or?

Although ERP therapy (Exposure Response Prevention Therapy) would become the most potent treatment to fight OCD, it’s not the easiest treatment to go through.

In fact, it’s difficult, expensive and without any guarantees of success. Even if you can afford ERP you’re likely to quit. Imagine having to face those things that scare you the most?

Here’s the interesting thing though. Exposure Response Prevention is based on experiments with animals. I know it’s more sophisticated now but the principle still remains the same.

Animals facing their fears.

You can’t force an animal to practice mindfulness. You can’t force an animal use its imagination against its fears.

Humans are much more dynamic of course. We have the ability to transcend time and space. This gives us an edge over our animal friends when it comes to ‘Safety OCD Checking.’

Why do I say this and why only this type of compulsive checking?

Safety OCD Checking is where you check physical things around your home, workspace, and vehicle. You repeatedly check the curling irons are off, the stove is off, the fridge door is closed, etc.

OCD is known as the ‘doubting disease.’

And this is what is happening with this type of OCD. We check, then check again, then again…in this continuous loop. We can see the stove is off but as soon as we leave the doubting disease kicks in.

Here’s the thing though. We only doubt after we leave the thing we’re checking.

What if there was some reliable way to REMEMBER that the stove was off after we leave the kitchen.

That’s where I come in. Over the last 10 years, I developed a memory system that helps people to remember. To remember that their stove is safely off after they’ve checked it. To remember all the water faucets are turned off. That the doors are locked.

To remove the doubt. Because without doubt, OCD becomes powerless. When we replace doubt with certainty we win.

There is no more OCD.

Our imagination is what gives OCD its power. With our imagination, we can make it powerless. But only with Safety OCD Checking…& only when we use this memory system.

Learn More About This System- Contact Chris

Using Your Own Images

The images are unusual, vivid, and involve movement. The code images also need to make sense regardless of how ridiculous they are.

Alternate Option

Here is another version of the 4L’s system that I could take to overcome my OCD handwashing if I had it.

What’s important is that you alter this system if it doesn’t work for you.

You are your own person. With your own imagination. With your own solutions.

Here it is:

1. You’ve already washed your hands and now you’re getting contamination thoughts and an urge to wash. So first open both palms of your hands and hold them out like your holding a tray.
2. Next, imagine a long fluorescent lighting tube suspended in air above your arms and hands at about head height. This fluorescent light tube has a special beam that can sterilize any germs.
3. So now imagine the light covers both arms then moves away from your head to the tips of your fingers. Along the way, it burns off any germs. You can hear a slight sizzle and localized heat as it sterilizes your arms and hands.
4. Then imagine it returning to your elbows again. Then turn over your arms and let the laser scan to and fro again erasing any contamination.

You can keep your hands by your sides if you want. This can be done very covertly. Even if you kept your hands in your pockets it would still be possible.

Just imagine the fluorescent laser going up and down rather than horizontally.

If you’re in a position where you don’t need wash, use this short version of the Look, Lock, Label and Leave System and…

…maybe to finish off imagine a magic disinfectant cleaning cloth rubbing away any other germs that may have been left behind all by itself.

It’s your imagination, go with what works for you.

Although this seems like a complicated process remember that with practice these steps will only take seconds.

Literally seconds.

Conclusion

It is the easiest, fastest, and most comprehensive technique on the planet.

Or if you don’t have compulsive checking behavior but know someone who does. Then please forward them to this link…

…and I’ll see you there.

Much love,

Chris.

Imprisoned in your Own Home

Warning: Do not read or use these techniques if you are a child or have ‘Harm OCD.’ Use the soft options instead.

There are so many types of OCD that it can manifest in lots of different ways for different people. While there are many avenues to treat OCD like therapy and medication I want to help you achieve the seemingly impossible, that’s to show you an OCD treatment you can use at home for free.

That’s the good news. The not so good news is that I can’t help with all forms of OCD.

But I can help you if you have Checking OCD.

So if you repeatedly check the oven’s off, your doors locked, your power outlets are off, your windows are shut, etc… then you’re in the right place.

I can help you right here at your home right now.

Traditional therapy is difficult, time-consuming and can cost the earth.

Some people are spending nearly $1,000 a week in the USA. While this is money well spent if successful you’ve got to consider that this type of therapy can last several months with no guarantees of success.

Not everyone can afford this and many have no insurance.

So hopefully I’ll be able to explain my system and you can get back to the life you deserve.

I want to show how to overcome your OCD checking and show you that you are truly ‘stronger than OCD.’

But how do we accomplish this?

Traditional therapy like Exposure Response Prevention therapy will ‘expose’ you to your OCD fear and stop you from ritualizing or rechecking (in our case.)

They teach you to only check each thing once then you have to live with that doubt.

Say for example you lock your front door.

Your therapist will encourage you to check the handle just once and then walk away and leave your house.

This leaves you in a stressful state which can put your anxiety through the roof.

At least initially.

What I’m offering you is something different.

Instead of having you live with the doubt…I’ll help you eliminate it.

I will help you to check the things around your house and have you remember that each thing has been checked properly.

We will use a specially adapted memory system that will show you how to beat this type of checking.

It’s a four-part system I have termed as ‘The Look, Lock, Label and Leave System.’

With a bit of practice, you can apply it in seconds and absolutely destroy your OCD in the process.

So let’s learn a bit more about it.

Ancient Memory

Like I said we’ll be using a couple of ancient memory systems specifically adapted to help us remember what we’ve checked is safely off, locked and closed.

There are a couple of things I’d like to clear up first.

Firstly the techniques I’m about to show you have been used for over two thousand years. They are tried and tested throughout the ages. They work and are very effective.

I have adapted and refined them to treat this type of OCD.

Secondly, most of those memory masters you see on Youtube are using variations of these systems. They can achieve incredible feats like remembering several thousand digits of pi with perfect recollection because they are using these types of mnemonics.

And these folk are no different to you or me, they don’t have some superpower.

They are just using specific mnemonic techniques to boost their memory in order to retain that information.

So if these masters can remember a couple of hundred names and phone numbers of complete strangers on the first meeting, how difficult do you think it can be to remember that the front door is locked?

With the right strategy, it’s easy.

Let’s get to that strategy right now.

The System & Why Labels are so Important

The rest of this post will focus on explaining ‘The Look, Lock, Label and Leave System.’

If you don’t understand what I’m about to explain don’t worry.

When we learn something new there’s always a learning curve.

If you would like a practical example then learn how to stop OCD checking your front door here.

Let’s take a look quick overview of each part so you get a general idea of it, then we’ll dig in a bit deeper.

Look– this may seem simple but we cannot actually apply this system unless we’re actually looking at the thing we need to check. Remember the lesson on tagging. In it, we learned that it would be worthless to tag an object to our arm unless we’re actually physically looking at it in the first place.

Also when we’re looking we only look at the thing we’re checking. When we label (or tag) to a body part we do not look at our body. Everything is done in our imagination.

In a minute we’ll find out exactly what we do look at.

Just know for now we actually physically check with our eyes each thing we check.

We keep our eyes open during the entire process and we only look at certain parts of what we’re checking (more on this soon.)

Lock– this part just doesn’t refer to checking doors.

Lock means that we ‘lock-on’ a coded image to remind us that the thing we’re checking is safely off, locked and closed.

For example, we see ice crusting over the oven. Ice means the oven is cold…if it’s cold then it must be off.

Each thing we check will have it’s own coded image we ‘lock-on’ or attach to it.

Label– this is a vital aspect of the whole system. We take the coded image that we attached to the thing we’re checking and then attach it to our body.

The reason we do this is because we want to carry that coded image with us so that when we’re down the road or in bed at night and we start to worry that we’ve left the oven on, all we do is review that coded image on our body then our minds will be put at ease.

We do not think about the oven, power outlet or front door lock.

We know that we only label/tag this coded image to our body when we are physically checking.

Each time we worry about accidentally leaving something on or unlocked all we have to do is review our labeled body part.

Leave– once we’ve labeled we need to seal off the area by ‘wrapping around the armor.’ What we do here is imagine armor wrapping around each body part we label to.

The reason we do this is that the Standard Checks usually involve imaginary pain when we label.

So we seal off this gruesome image for a couple reasons.

1. this gruesome coded image is more bearable when we hide it behind our armor. We just open it in our imagination when and if we need to check the label.
2. wrapping the armor will add more bizarre imagery to the system which makes it even more effective. Unusual, bizarre imagery is a cornerstone of this system.

Look in One Direction

For each object, you look at when checking you only look at one part of it. Let’s use the water faucets in this example.

Through the entire process of using this system to check the taps, I only look at the nozzle. This is to make absolutely sure that they’re turned off properly and no water is dripping.

For other objects, these are the only things that I only look at when I’m checking:

• Oven- the controls
• All appliances- the plug at the end of the cord (Personally I unplug every appliance in the house before I leave except the fridge)
• Power Sockets- look at sockets
• Light Switches- light switch controls
• Fridge- look to see the doors are shut properly (I also give a slight push with my hand)
• Windows- look at the window lock or latches
• Doors- turn key then give the door a gentle pull (I also look at the lock of the door but since you can’t actually see it lock I also give it a slight pull)

Picture Perfect- The Locksmith

Our next step is to ‘Lock in a picture’ to the object we’re checking to symbolize- (remind us) that we’ve checked it.

Freeze

For all of these objects, we create a mental picture of ice forming over its entire surface.

• Oven
• Washing Machine & Dryers
• Fire Place
• Power Sockets
• Light Switches
• All Appliances- (including everything electrical like the computer, toaster, kettle, television, curling irons, etc…)

Question: Why do we freeze these objects?

Answer: Ice will remind us that the object is cold. If it’s cold then it must be off.

Important: Since I make sure all the power sockets are off and nothing is plugged in when I leave my house, I don’t use this system on any of my small appliances except the electric kettle.

This object causes me a bit more anxiety. The same should be true for you. As long as you use this system on the power sockets you shouldn’t need to use it on every other electrical appliance. However, if there are appliances that cause you a lot of distress like curling irons, heater or clothes iron, etc…then go ahead and use this system on each of those other objects as well.

Drill

I use the image of a large screw being drilled into the nozzle of all taps. This reminds us that the nozzle is blocked and no water is dripping. We see the image of a drill suspended in mid-air hovering above the bottom of the sink, facing up so the screw can be inserted into the nozzle.

Important: As the screw is being drilled in it doesn’t break the nozzle in any way.

Bolt

The image we use to remind us that we’ve properly checked that the doors are locked is a bolt lock. To remind us the windows are shut properly we use the image of a padlock. For the bolt lock image that we ‘Lock onto’ the door, I make that image big as this helps us to remember.

Belt

The final image we use is that of a giant belt. We imagine it wrapping around the doors of the fridge. We do this to make sure the doors are shut properly and our food doesn’t go off.

Wearing the Label

We are now ‘Looking’ at the right part of the OCD object. We have successfully ‘Locked On’ the image to remind us that it has been properly checked. We now ‘Label’ that same image to a part of our body.

Frost Bite

Oven, Washing Machine, Dryer, Television, Fireplace, Heaters Large Electrical Appliances, Fireplace, and Oven- from the previous page we ‘Locked On’ the image of ice to these objects.

For OCD objects like the oven, washing machine, dryer or fireplace what I do is place a foot (or hand) next to it as the ice is crusting over. Now your foot is frozen you pull it away from the object. You then let the ice sink into that foot so there’s no ice protruding.

Now your foot is so frozen it’s become badly frostbitten and it has turned a black and blue color. It’ so frozen that half your foot (or hand) breaks off.

Power Sockets

All Electrical Power Sockets

When we freeze the power sockets the process is slightly different. We start by imaging a piece of ice suspended in mid-air a couple of inches away. It drifts closer to it eventually embedding into the power socket (on the wall) and freezing it.

Now I imagine that there is a power socket on the top of my thigh. Again I imagine a piece of ice suspended in mid-air drifting into the socket on my thigh and freezing it.

Now I imagine that frozen socket going deeper and deeper into the muscle leaving behind a large crevasse. Blood and other bodily tissues start to drip into the crevasse and down my leg.

You know the Drill

All Water Taps

Since we drilled the screw into the tap nozzles we now drill large screws into parts of our body. Still looking at the nozzle we imagine a drill suspended mid-air with a giant screw, about to be driven into your upper arm. Hear the drill spinning as it pierces the muscle, then bone then more muscle as it breaches the other side. Trickles of blood and other tissues start to drip down your arm, as that area turns a blue and purplish color.

Pierce and Push

Doors and Windows

After we have ‘Locked-in’ the image of a bolt lock to the doors we then ‘Label’ it to the body by using a piercing gun.

As you leave your house lock it with a key and give a gentle pull. Then imagine a giant bolt lock attached to the outside of the door to remind you it’s properly locked.

To label it to your body imagine a small bolt lock being pierced into the middle part of the bottom of your nose. Then imagine it bending in half and being pushed up in the nose tearing the middle tissue. As blood starts dripping down your nose and into your mouth.

I know that you may have multiple doors leading to the outside.

If this is the case then you can pierce small bolt locks to your ears, eyebrows and even nipples. Whatever suits, then bend them in half and drive them into your body.

After you’ve checked that the windows are shut imagine a large padlock is ‘Locked onto’ the window. To ‘Label’ it to your body you could imagine regular size padlocks being pierced through the bottom parts of your forearms.

Light switches

We can also freeze light switches the same way we froze the power sockets.

Start by merging a piece of ice into the light switch on the wall. Then imagine a light switch on top of part of your body. See an image of a piece of ice merge into this switch and embedding deeper into the muscle.

As an added touch I like to imagine four little screws at the bottom of the frozen light switch. (Obviously, the screws are only visible in my mind’s eye.) They make a drilling sound taking the frozen switch deeper and deeper into my body.

Kettle and other small appliances

As I’ve said before the electric kettle is the only appliance that causes me anxiety when I check to leave my house. I imagine it sitting on top of my head. Then I freeze the kettle from top to bottom all the way down my head to just above my eyes. Then I imagine the top of my head caving in with the kettle now inside.

Important: As I’ve said before since I use this system on all of the power sockets most of the other electrical appliances don’t bother me. However, if you still feel anxiety over appliances like curling irons or toaster, etc… then you can use the same technique above.

If there are a number of appliances then you could also freeze them onto your shoulders and let them cave into your chest cavity. If the appliance is big like a laptop or coffee machine then shrink its size first before freezing it to a body part and letting it cave in.

Also if it’s really big like a washing machine then put a hand or foot next to it as it’s frosting over. Pull hand away, let ice sink in so it’s frostbitten. Then let it turn the hand (or foot) black and blue as half of it snap off.

The Fridge

The fridge is the final thing to check. I give the doors a gentle push to make sure they’re closed properly. I then imagine a giant belt tightly wrapping around it and buckling up to remind us that it’s shut.

To label it to our body I imagine a thin belt being pulled tighter and tighter around my waist. So tight that it cuts through the skin and deep into the muscle. As blood starts dripping down my body.

Putting on the Armour: Leave-The Final Piece to the Puzzle 

This is the last image you label on your body. Say you’ve locked in the image of ice to the oven then labeled it to your foot. Your foot is now frozen with ice. Imagine walking down the street with a frostbitten foot that’s so frozen some toes have broken off. (Broken off toes is a bizarre image that helps the mind to remember.)

You should be able to remember you’ve checked the oven when you leave the kitchen or entire house. However, we now have a new problem. Your frozen toeless foot should be so vivid that that image has now got the potential to become a new OCD trigger!

It’s not just your foot either. Imagine having giant screws piercing your arm or a bolt lock piercing your nose as you’re walking down the street. This could trouble your mind and as I’ve already stated. So the last technique you use is something I’ve called ‘Putting on the Armour.

Think like a Transformer

Now I want you to take your frozen toeless foot and imagine a moon boot wrapping it. The type of ‘moon boot’ someone would wear if they had badly torn ligaments in the ankle area. But don’t visualize slipping into it and buckling it up.

That would take a lot of unnecessary time.

So to save time and make it more memorable imagine the moon boot wrapping around your foot like a transformer. You do this for all the visualizations you label to the body. Take my right upper arm for instance. This is where I imagine two large screws have been drilled into that area.

This reminds me that my bathroom taps have been checked. The next step immediately after would be put on the armor. This involves imagining a thick metal magically appearing and wrapping around my entire upper arm. Just like you would see in a Transformer movie.

As I said before you do this for all images you label to your body. Even if you imagine swallowing something in order to remember it. (You use the image of swallowing when using this system to remember you have your wallet on you.)

Now some of you at this stage may be confused about applying this system. So let’s review some of the important aspects of it.

Some Important Tips

Use All Your Senses

When we Lock in a picture, Label that image to our body and even when we ‘Put on the Armour’ it’s very important to use all the senses.

For example, when we freeze the oven we not only visualize it frosting over in our minds but hear a crackling icy sound as well.

When it reaches our foot that’s resting and touching the oven we feel the coldness of it being frosted over. We also hear a tearing sound as we pull our foot away from the frozen oven.

We hear more frosting sounds again as the ice seeps right into the foot.

In our imagination we see the frostbitten foot turn black and blue and even feel half of it snap off. The more senses we use the better we remember and the better this system works.

Important: When frosting power sockets a crackling sound might not be a good idea as this could be confused with an electrical fire. But do whatever works for you.

Using Pain

The reason we use pain when we ‘Label the Image’ to our body is that this also helps us to remember.

To be effective we must work with our memory. The images need to be unusual, bizarre and exaggerated in some way.

If I simply said to imagine that a power socket is stuck to your thigh then that image would not be unusual enough. If however we imagine and feel a frozen power socket being driven deep into the muscle creating a large crevasse, then that image is a whole lot easier to remember.

Keep the Routine

If you already have a routine then keep that the same. When you go room by room checking each OCD object then you simply apply this system at each location.

I start in the kitchen, then lounge, then the bathroom, etc…locking on images then labeling them to my body. I start the labeling on my left foot, work my way up to my head then back down the other side ending on my right lower leg.

Do the same if you wish or create your own system. Do whatever works for you.

After a bit of practice, your checking and labeling routine will become second nature. You’ll know which body part represents the particular OCD object you checked.

Opening the Armour

If you start to feel any anxiety that you may have left the stove on or not locked the door properly then the solution is simple.

Open the armor on your foot and look at that frostbitten toe less mess then seal it up again.

For checking the door, open the armor on your nose again so you can see and feel all that blood and tissue dripping into your mouth. Finish by putting the armor back on again.

Important: It’s important that when the image is labeled to the body that we engage with it emotionally. We should be repulsed by the image of that gross frostbitten toeless foot. This helps to make the image even more memorable.

Big and Deep

It’s a good idea to make the screw images you label to your body very large. When you exaggerate the size of the screws then it’s easier to remember.

When embedding the frozen power sockets into your thigh (or whatever body part you choose), make the image big and make sure it goes deep into the muscle. The deeper the better.

For my thigh example, I imagine the frozen socket going at least halfway through that part of my leg.

Focus, Focus, Focus

In order for this system to work, you must focus your full attention on the job at hand. Each check (after a bit of practice) should only take a few seconds. But you must focus on Looking, Locking, Labeling then Leaving and nothing else.

That few seconds of concentration is vital. I can’t stress this point enough. So focus all of your attention when applying this system and nothing else. After you’ ve put on the armor for each object you can break attention till you move on to the next one. But when applying the system focus solely on this.

Summary

To begin with we learned that while traditional therapy works for OCD, with our compulsive checking rituals we can overcome them by approaching them from another direction.

Exposure Response Prevention Therapy will expose you to your anxiety and not let you ritualize.

This creates incredible distress as we are no longer allowed to recheck the things in our house.

Instead of living with doubt what I help people do is remove that doubt through memory systems.

Memory experts can accomplish incredible feats that almost seem superhuman but the truth is that they are just using specific strategies.

Then I introduced you to my memory system for overcoming OCD checking which I have termed as ‘The Look, Lock, Label and Leave System.’

This four-part system removes our doubt and the ‘what if’ monster.

1. Look- we look at the thing we’re checking
2. Lock- we lock on a coded image to the thing we’re checking
3. Label- we label this same coded image to a body part
4. Leave- we wrap around the armor to seal off that label

We learned that we don’t just passively use these coded images. Instead, we engage as many senses as possible.

Also when we label these coded images we use imaginary pain as this helps them stick better to our body parts.

Whenever we start to worry that we may have left the oven on or a door unlocked all we have to do is reopen the armor and check that label.

One thing that doesn’t have to change is our system of checking our houses. All we have to do is know where to label each thing we check.

Once we have this system in place we always label the same body part.

Exaggerating the size of the images we lock on and then label makes them more memorable which is our purpose.

Finally, we found out that focus is the key.

We need a laser-like focus on each thing we check…but the good news is that with a bit of practice each thing can be checked within a few seconds.

Hey, I hope you enjoyed this article. I know there are literally millions of people worldwide suffering from this type of OCD checking.

If you find the content on this website helpful then do you think you could do me a favor and share it with your social network.

Maybe we can turn the tables on OCD and in the process turn the tide on this illness as well.

Thanks if you do and thank you all for supporting ‘Stronger than OCD.’

No Rescue Needed- I’ll Teach You to Swim

What you have before you is a unique system. This system has absolutely nothing to do with any of the existing models used to treat checking OCD. It has nothing to do with…

• CBT
• DBT
• NLP
• Exposure and Ritual Prevention
• The Brain Lock Method
• Question Technology
• The Linden Method

This system that I’ve created can trace its origins back to 500 BC. I’ve changed it though, molded it into a unique tool.

(Please Note: Even though this system- The Look, Lock, Label & Leave System is completely unique and has nothing to do with any of the therapies listed above, it can be used in conjunction with all these other methods.)

It will take care of the ‘What if ?’ thought that plagues the OCD mind.“What if I didn’t turn the tap off ?…what If I didn’t turn the oven off ?…what if the heaters still plugged in ?…did I lock the door properly ?…did I leave the electric blanket on ?…what if ?what if ?what if ?…”

It will take care of the compulsive behaviors such as turning off the taps so hard and so often they break. Getting in and out of bed during the night just to make sure we’ve locked the doors and windows.

Touching the elements of the electric stove throughout the day so the house doesn’t burn down, etc…

It will take care of the rituals like counting (at least that was my ritual), odd numbers in odd sets over and over, again and again. It should reduce the anxiety to near zero.

I know that at the time if I didn’t count and check it would have been as if I wanted the catastrophe to unfold.

It would have been like giving permission for bad things to happen. This went on for several years before I told my doctor about it. I was silly to wait so long. I was no stranger to mental illness.

I’ve had a few of them, panic attacks, depression and the worst of the bunch schizophrenia.

Learn More About This System- Contact Chris

My OCD

I can’t remember exactly when my OCD started. I do remember that as I walked around to my parent’s house I use to play a little game. I would guess the number of steps between the cracks.

If I counted correctly then I would feel rewarded, but for the next count I would always say to myself ‘double or nothing’. If it was incorrect then I would have to get the next count right or else I kept incurring penalties.

The penalty was something bad would happen to me and my family.

Then on the bus rides home from my friend’s house I would always get the urge to check I still had my wallet on me. Making sure all my money and cards were safely tucked inside. Every couple minutes I would check even though I knew that I had it on me and everything was in there.

Eventually, I started to worry about the oven still being on, the appliances still being connected to the power points, taps not being turned off properly, the heater still being connected to the point and the doors not being locked.

Then the counting began. I would feel the elements on my stove and say out loud“123…321…123…12345….54321…  12345… 1234567…7654321…1234567…off, off, off… off, off,off…off, off, off…”

It would be the same as my taps. I would count finishing with an odd number of odd sets, all the while having my hand underneath so I could feel if any water was coming out.

I would put my one bar heater in the bedroom draw (as long as I hadn’t just used it) so I knew for sure it wasn’t plugged in. Still, I had to open and close the drawer and count multiple times just to make sure it was in there.

Same with my doors, I would lock and unlock them just to make sure it was done right.

Luckily I had an understanding landlord and helpful stepfather.

The washers on my taps needed regular replacements. Even though I tried not to turn them off tight I couldn’t help myself.

A few times I turned them so hard that internally they broke and water came gushing out non stop. My stepdad would kindly come round and plug it till the plumber came.

I broke the control in the shower for the same reason. As well as breaking the locks on my door a couple of times.

Once I even broke my steel key in half as I was unlocking and relocking the front door. In the freezing.

Winter I would still get in and out of bed to make sure I had turned the taps off properly, all the while counting.

How Did I Overcome It?

In the OCD mind, we know that the repetitive checking is unnecessary but we do it anyway. There’s a beast that stalks us day and night with two words….” What if? “ Those two words keep us coming back for punishment.

What if I left the tap running and the house floods. What if I didn’t turn the heater off and the house burns to the ground with the kids in it. What if I didn’t lock the door properly, burglars could get in and rob us or worse.

My system takes care of the ‘what if’.

When you apply it you still check but the checking should be dramatically reduced. And within a short space of time, there should be no need for rituals either.

When I leave my house I check everything off just once. I’m usually checking for 5 minutes and that includes a pit stop in the bathroom and putting my shoes on.

In the past, it’s taken me as long as 1 hour to complete a single check of the whole house.

I developed my system by accident really. Or maybe out of necessity is a bit more accurate.

I’ve always loved reading books on the power of the mind and the possibilities of human potential. This led me to read books on memory enhancement.

Learn More About This System- Contact Chris

That’s where I first heard about that Greek guy surviving ‘The God’s’ wrath and in the next section, I’m going to let you know why he’s important for our type of OCD.

HOW IT WORKS

As you know from the end of the last section I developed this system from learning mnemonic techniques that were created hundreds of years before the birth of Christ.

I have used two primary techniques but I’ve molded them into a totally different set of tools.

The first memory technique I use is called ‘The Loci System’. (I’ll talk more about its history later). This mnemonic involves using locations (loci) to put information on you’d like to remember.

For instance, say you had a list of items to get from the store. Milk, bread, coffee, shaving gel, and soap.

I could use five locations in my bedroom and combine them with images of the shopping list to help me remember.

When I walk into my bedroom on my left the first loci would be my chest of draws. The first item on the list is milk so if I want to attach it to this location in my mind I would imagine opening my top draw and pouring a bottle of milk into it. Just having a bottle of milk sitting on top of the chest of draws would not work as the mental images need to be unusual in some way.

If you can exaggerate it and use bizarre imagery then this helps the mind to remember. The next item is bread and the next loci is my chair.

I could visualize the cushioned seat of my chair being made of bread. Unfortunately, it’s so old there’s green mold all over it and it smells putrid.

I would do the same with the rest of the items. When I got to the store I would simply mentally walk my way through my bedroom remembering each item I had attached to each location

This is all well and fine you say but how does this help my OCD?

Instead of using the loci around your house to remember random information. Why don’t we use the locations that trigger your OCD and put mental pictures on them to remind you that you’ve checked them.

For instance, say you’re on your way out of your house and the last thing to check is that the door is locked properly. What I do is turn the key once then give the doorknob a gentle pull just to make sure.

Then use the image of a giant lock being bolted to the outside of the door. However, there’s still the problem of not being sure if I have locked it properly as the image of the giant bolt is left at the front door of my house.

So this is the real beauty of the system.

After I’ve attached the image of the bolt to the door of my house I also attach it to my body. Imagine a small bolt lock being suddenly pierced through your nose with a piercing gun.

Then imagine that bolt lock being bent in half and pushed up inside your nose tearing the tissue as blood starts to trickle down into your mouth.

If later I happen to be at the mall and I start to worry that I’ve left the door unlocked then all I do is remember the bolt embedded in my nose.

I can see it (in my imagination), smell it, and feel and taste the blood streaming into my mouth. This is an unusual, vivid image which why the system works.

Learn More About This System- Contact Chris

Now if you did this when you leave your house do you think you could remember if you’ve locked the door?

Origins of the System

Before we go into more details about the Look, Lock, Label and Leave system it’s best to learn about some of its histories.

The greater your understanding of this system the better you’ll be able to apply it. The deeper the foundation the taller the building.

But there’s also another reason I want you to have a strong foundation.

With this system, your checking anxiety should be well under control. But there are other forms of checking OCD it doesn’t work for.

So I want you to evolve it into a set of tools that may work in other areas it doesn’t work in presently.

Say if your OCD involves (or someone you know) worrying about accidentally running over somebody in your car, you may be able to adapt this system in some way to reduce the need to retrace your journey and rechecking.

I don’t want this system to remain static. Build upon it to suit your own needs.

Don’t piss off the God’s

Two and a half thousand years ago there’s a tale about a Greek noble named Scopas who threw a banquet.

He hired the poet Simonides to offer a poem of praise for the celebration. However, Scopas was jealous of the fawning remarks to the gods. So he only paid the poet half of the agreed fee.

Simonides (the poet) was approached by a messenger and asked to step outside.

It was then that the angry gods unleashed their fury upon the banquet hall killing everyone inside. The bodies of the guests were mutilated and unrecognizable.

However Simonides the poet knew the loci system. So he was able to identify the dead since he had memorized the seating position of each of the guests around the banquet tables.

The Body List

The other mnemonic technique we’ll be using is the body list. This is essentially the same as the loci system except we use parts of the body to hang things on that we want to remember. Next, we’ll look at just how the brain remembers.

This is vital to remembering what we check is safely off, locked and closed since if this memory information is attached to our body then we carry it wherever we go.

MIND THE PICTURES

The Mind remembers in Pictures.

Anything and everything can be remembered if it’s made into a picture. Names, dates, foreign languages, decks of cards and even the long digits of numbers.

But not just any old picture will work. It has to stand out and made bizarre, exaggerated, unusual, interactive, or even sexual.

Remember when I gave you a shopping list and we used the locations in my bedroom to hang them on.

The first item was milk and we imagined pouring a carton of it into my top drawer. That was unusual enough to engage the memory. I could have also used the image of a cow standing next to my clothes draws, with its udders attached to milking pipes and my draws acting as the vat. Or my entire clothes drawers could be made out of milk cartons. The pictures need to be unusual to be remembered.

The second item was bread and we attached it to the next loci which was my chair.

We imagined the cushion seat is made of bread. Also, the bread had gone moldy with a visible coating of green mildew. There was also a putrid smell emanating from it.

This is important as the more senses you use the more likely you are to remember. Also if the image is disgusting or repulsive let yourself engage in that feeling.

The mental images we used were my pictures. However with the Look, Lock, Label and Leave system feel free to use your own images if you wish. Replace my ones with your own if it feels right for you.

This may make it an even more powerful tool for your use.

As I said before I also want you to adapt if possible to help with other forms of checking OCD.

In fact, feel free to use adapt it to any form of OCD if it helps. Use the website to post any new uses you have for this system in the comments area.

Then we could all learn from one another.

Learn More About This System- Contact Chris

I reckon we’ve done enough theory into mnemonic techniques so in the next section we are going to do an exercise. In the space of a few minutes, you’ll be learning how to memorize a list of twenty random items.

THE LINK METHOD

Let us see how this works Linking is the basis of most mnemonic techniques.

In the loci method, you link what you want to remember to a stationary object.

With the body list, you link it to parts of your body.

In your first exercise, we are simply going to link random objects to each other in a sequential list. We’ll use the first item to link to the second, the second will link to the third, third to the fourth, etc…until all twenty items are remembered. I’ll be making the items up as we go, so here they are:

1. cigarettes
2. butter
3. Bob Marley
4. key
5. Amazon
6. deer
7. arrow
8. pilot
9. drunk
10. eggs
11. painting
12. shepherd
13. tree
14. mouse
15. neighbor
16. bag
17. toilet
18. rain
19. Christmas
20. stereo

So here’s the list. Before we use the mnemonics I want you to get out a piece of paper right now, go to another room and try to write out as many as you can from memory. Don’t just read this. Actually, put your tablet or laptop away and do the exercise.

How many did you get?

Now stay where you are and try to write the list backward starting from twenty all the way back to number one. Unless you know mnemonic techniques I’m guessing you didn’t remember more the four or five.

Remembering them all backward should be virtually impossible.

LET’S GET VISUAL

When Weird Works

Now we’re going to link each item on the list to the next one.

The pictures in our minds, however, must be unusual, exaggerated, bizarre, interactive and even sexual for the brain to remember.

Visualize the following example…

cigarette/butter there’s a new addiction for ex-smokers. We miss the good ol’ cigarette so much we mix dog ends with butter and spread it on our toast.

butter/Bob Marley- we’re such big fans of reggae that an artist friend of ours is carving a life-size version of Bob from butter.

Bob Marley/key-Bob Marley gets so sick of the dreads he decides to shave them off. In their place, he has chains surgically implanted to his skull with giant keys on the ends.

key/Amazon-those Amazonian women are carrying a giant key through the jungle so they can take it home and melt it to forge into weapons.

Amazon/deer-also in the jungle is a mythical beast that from the waist up is a woman but her bottom half is that of a deer. As you can imagine getting dates is a real hassle.

deer/arrow-we’re at an archery range except instead of people practicing its deer standing on their hind legs shooting at the targets.

arrow/pilot-in an attempt for NASA to save money, they sat the pilot on a giant arrow and tried to propel him into space with the help of the world’s largest crossbow.

pilot/drunk-the pilot of a commercial airline was called in as a replacement for the sick captain. Unfortunately, it was his wife’s fortieth birthday today. He had a few celebratory drinks and stumbles as he boards. He also pukes up on a passenger the remnants of the dinner.

drunk/eggs-a a new alcoholic drink. Crack a dozen raw eggs into a blender with a hip flask of rum. Now scull this mixture as you feel those eggs slide down your throat.

eggs/painting-you’re at a gallery where a well-known local artist is having his opening night. Unimpressed with his work you pull out a carton of eggs and decide to throw it against the pieces you dislike the most. painting/shepherd-a bored shepherd looking after his flock starts experimenting with spray paint cans. Each sheep is sprayed with a variety of colors.

shepherd/tree-a a giant tree comes alive walking into a paddock herding wayward sheep into a small group. tree/mouse-the world’s biggest mouse lives in a treehouse. He’s quite content playing x-box on his 50-inch television.

mouse/neighbor-unfortunately the neighbor is short of cash and is eating rodents to fill his belly. On his plate a roasted mouse fresh of the spit. Mmm, delicious.

neighbor/bag-the same neighbor’s wife can afford makeup or shampoo. She feels so bad that she puts a bag over her face when she leaves home. This draws more attention to her as people point and laugh as she stumbles her way down the street.

bag/toilet-I’m at the gym and last night’s curry is playing havoc with my bowels. Some genius has locked all the toilets and as I’m the only one there I decide to drop my trou and take a dump in my bag.

toilet/rain-it’s the end of the world so as a joke God decides to let millions of toilets rain on the world. They come smashing into houses and buildings leaving a trail broken porcelain. Funny thing is some of those in developing nations think it’s Christmas come early.

rain/Christmas-when Christmas does actually arrive Santa has to get Comet and the rest of the crew above the clouds. As it’s pouring down with rain and he doesn’t want the bicycles to get rusty.

Christmas/stereo-you suddenly awaken on Xmas day to the sounds of ‘Snoopy’s Christmas’. As you walk into your lounge you find a stereo with six-foot-high speakers blasting the tune out. It’s also covered in soot as there are black footprints all over the cream carpet. This is strange as you don’t even have a chimney.

Don’t just read this. If you haven’t already go through them again and visualize each item on the list. The first will lead you to the second. The second to the third. Third to the fourth, etc…

The reason I want you to do this exercise is to show you that

1. everyone has the ability to visualize
2. visualization (using pictures) is the basis of the Lock, Lock, Label and Leave.

By the way, you can impress your friends with the link method by getting you them to write down a random list of twenty items as you memorize it.

Get them to call out the list one by one as they write. And as they call them out memorize each link. Then after they’ve completed the list takes a 4-second look at it and just remember the first item. (This makes them think you’ve memorized the whole list in 4 seconds).

Then one by one call off each item. That’s enough showing off.

Learn More About This System- Contact Chris

From now on we’re going to be focusing on the system. When we check we need to look at the object of our anxiety like the oven or powerpoint, etc…then we lock in a picture. But not just any picture. For me, I use ice, bolts, drills, and screws….

SUMMARY

The Look, Lock, Label and Leave System is based on two ancient memory techniques.

1. The Loci System- you use stationary objects (like furniture in your house) to attach mental images to
2. The Body List- you attach mental images to parts of your body

Anything can be remembered if it’s made into a picture/mental image

It helps the memory to remember if these mental images are unusual, interactive, bizarre, exaggerated or even sexual in some way

If the mental image is disgusting or repulsive then let your emotions engage in that feeling as this also helps us to remember

The Link Method is the foundation of most memory systems. It involves linking the first item to the second one, the second item to the third, etc…

I have given a brief introduction to the mechanics of this system.

The Look, Lock, Label and Leave System is a four-part system that helps us to remember what we’ve checked has been checked properly.

We use specially coded images that I have refined over the past 12 years that are vivid, unusual and yet logical at the same time.

Also by engaging as many senses as possible, we make the images stick when we are labeling them to our bodies.

The main rule is that we only apply this system when we are physically checking what needs to be checked.

If we ‘tag’ or label this memory information when we aren’t actually checking with our eyes then we will doubt ourselves.

Here’s How it Works

LOOK Look at the object that’s causing your anxiety- for example, the kitchen taps and check to see they’re turned off properly.

LOCK Lock in an image to remind you that you’ve checked it- in the kitchen taps example imagine a power drill inside the sink facing upwards. Imagine it drilling a big screw (that just fits into the nozzle) to block the water from coming out.

LABEL Now label that image to your body. Imagine a giant screw being drilled into your shin.

LEAVE The final step is to ‘put on the armor’. After the screw has drilled right through your shin, imagine a piece of metal wrapping around the shin that has the screw. (Much like you see in the Transformer movies. I’ll talk more about putting on the armor later.

They say that no system is perfect. There may be inherent flaws that I may not be aware of that could be helpful for me to iron out.

So if you don’t think this system would be a good idea to use then please let me know why in the comments section below and I’ll be grateful for the assistance,

Your Checking Friend, Chris.

Learn More About This System- Contact Chris