Letting Go of Possessions: Uncertainty Challenge

One of the contradictions of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a person’s relationship to objects.  For some with OCD, minimalist possessions are necessary to achieve symmetry and order.  In other forms of OCD (which can be co-occurring with symmetry OCD), objects represent some level of certainty.  Holding onto an object can mean we are not parting ways with a memory we do not wish to forget, or that we will regret not having the object in the future. Holding on to an object can also be a safety mechanism.  

When I posit the letting go of possessions challenge, my clients inevitably respond:

“How will I know what to get rid of? What if I give away something that I later want or need?”

These questions get to the core tenet of OCD: fear of uncertainty.  I cannot guarantee to you that you won’t need or want that possession in the future.  But your life is filled with and weighed down by these “just in case” items, which in many ways represent a desire to prepare for an unknown future.  

In OCD Treatment, we learn to accept that we cannot predict or control an uncertain future.  Holding onto items, just in case, in an example of a compulsion that makes us temporarily feel safer.  Long term, however, we continue to struggle with the unknown.

If you or your loved one could benefit from OCD treatment, please contact Kairos Wellness Collective today.