title: Buddhism, behavior change, and OCD.
abstract: For individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), the difficulty of their situation comes as no surprise. But what might be less expected is how directly their situation is spoken to in Buddhist teachings. Still, in nearly all mainstream discussions of psychiatric disorders, including OCD, the rich philosophical and spiritual dimensions of these conditions and the related treatment and care tend to be either ignored or disguised in euphemisms and vague explanations. This article sheds light on this hidden aspect of psychiatry and psychiatric nursing through a philosophical analysis of one of the most popular approaches to treating OCD, Schwartz's four-step method from Brain Lock. In so doing, the argument is made that sharing the philosophical and spiritual foundations of treatment and care promises not only to deepen the insights and skills of clinicians but also to empower clients as participants in their own journeys toward wellness and beyond.
authors.affiliation: University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Olson
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D032763:Behavior Control; D002016:Buddhism / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006694:Holistic Health; D018939:Holistic Nursing / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000379:methods; D029181:Spirituality