Compulsive Behavior/Obsessive Thoughts

Obsessive thoughts and/or compulsive behaviors are a common way for brains to defend against fear, anxiety or depression.  Since they are not primary problems but defenses against primary problems, it’s very important to train the underlying emotional derive issues first or at least concurrently. That’s why the Whole-Brain Plan is so important.  Once the brain begins to let go of the negative emotions, it can release the compulsions more easily.

When you do HEG, using the LIFE game, focus first on having him learn to dive.

OCD, so-called, usually appears in the EEG as an excessively activated anterior cingulate cortex (between AFz and Cz).  Although it may (in cases where the client is less emotionally controlled) as lots of slow or alpha activity on the frontal midline.  The anterior cingulate has (among others) the function of controlling the amount of emotional material from the limbic system that makes it into the decision-making process in the prefrontal cortex.  When this material is being blocked (as it is in OCD) the anterior cingulate is “hot”–working too hard. If that process has been going on for a long time and/or at a high level, the cingulate may show as burned out with the slow or alpha activity high.

The cingulate is one of the two subcortical areas (with the hippocampus) that includes pyramidal neurons and is thus visible on the EEG.  When we compare the sites on either side (e.g. F3 and F4 vs. Fz), we would usually expect to see the three about the same.  When the cingulate is “casting its shadow up onto the cortex”–that is, it is much different from the cortical values–the midline looks different from the two sides.  This is often visible on the Maps page.

Another commonly-seen pattern in OCD is high fast-wave coherence in the Frontal areas.  The F3 and F4 sites, for example, are so locked together that they cannot effectively work independently (as they normally should).  This increases rigidity and inability to shift easily.  Also the left orbito-frontal cortex (the area above the eye-socket interior to Fp1 and F7) gets stuck.  One of its functions is to let the PFC know that a task has been completed and can be dropped to  move on to other tasks.  When that doesn’t happen, we get obsessive or compulsive repetition or getting stuck on a task.

Two protocols will usually appear in the auto training plan if these symptoms are listed in the Client Report:

1. If fastwave coherence in the Frontal is high, CON2C MBC Down should appear.

2. The so-called “appetite protocol”, from FP1 to MC2 (Mastoid Crease behind the right ear) 1 channel bipolar SMR%.  This trains directly through the anterior cingulate and the left orbitofrontal and often has a positive effect on these issues.