I missed the OCD discussion in the other thread. Also, I found postings on OCD
here, such as "OCD study - peculiarity in Moon signs." This sort of study is
very interesting to me, as I use charts as guides simply for communicating with
others in their own terms. Symptoms distinguishing OCD from other disorders are
not clear to me, and I just generally respond to them as "the mutables."
Whether it is the woman who becomes ill because she loses count of the number of
persons in an auditorium, or the man who phones me in a panic because he has
driven his car all around town and can find no safe place to stop -- my image of
these situations is that we need to provide wing-footed Mercury a landing pad.
As you said about the case on this thread, if she tries to force thoughts, it
gets worse. We can't force Mercury, but we can clear a landing pad. And I know
when this has been achieved as I hear the other person breathe with relief.
From what I've read on OCD, one of the therapies is along this same line, where
the focus is on extending the time between the impulse and the action. Among the
folks of acquaintance, this is how I respond in my clumsy way -- just to sort of
slow them down to a point where they can breathe (Mercury again). I "ride what-
ever vehicle they provide," so to speak. Like the man who is trapped at home
because three red traffic lights in a row mean "NO" -- there's an inner logic and I don't debate it. Rather, I focus on the word "trapped," and see if the two of us can discuss it. It might be a trap, but it's a safe trap, after all.
This is very simple (for me), and when I hear his breathing change, I know he's
got his bearings again. But I do wish he could find some outer talisman or
something, when he goes into the panic, to remind him to stop and breathe.
With the woman in this thread, she provided the information of her snagging
footsteps in relation to boundaries, so I would go with that, keeping an alert
ear for whatever else she might have to say about boundaries. Possibly, the
snagging footstep is a solution until she finds more useful references?
Just to clarify, this is in fact the same chart as the "Pisces and health"
thread.
No sciatic anything. The walking problem wasn't the only thing, remember,
and most of the rest is pretty obviously psychological - hence the OCD
diagnosis.
Robin - actually, in general it's now thought that OCD doesn't usually seem
to be caused by trauma (although it may be exacerbated by it), but your
mileage may vary. (And of course it might turn out not to be OCD.)
--
A. B.
My e-mail address is zen177395 at zendotcodotuk, though I don't check that
account very often.
Post unto others as you would have them post unto you.
Post by Pete 4twainMy personal view is that Neptune obscures and Saturn takes a while. Also,
doctors, just like their patients, are human. A friend of mine suffered
for years, waiting for his hip to degenerate enough for replacement
surgery. Then he just happened to mention the pain to another doctor
during a routine physical examination. The second doctor diagnosed the
condition differently, gave my friend a shot of steroid, and the problem
was solved.
With the case presented here, if there has been even a hint of a physical
cause (maybe sciatic-related, or something like that), I wonder if she
might best pursue a diagnosis from another medical doctor.
Post by Robin WilkieReminds me of the 'game' children have played while walking
along sidewalks/pavements: "Don't step on a crack.. it'll break
your mother's back" -- a taboo with many other terrible variations,
no doubt.
The problem does sound like it could be psychosomatic, an
anxiety, stemming from a (semi-traumatic) buried memory.
It may surface & clear eventually, by itself, especially if she's
interested / concerned and does something about it. There
are ways to deal with it, e/g through creative exploration.
Writing or painting for example is a lot less expensive than
psychoanalysis.
-=Rab
Post by unknownNo known injuries. The walking problem does seem to be sort-of
correlated
with walking over markings on the road, some of the time, though she's
not
sure if she's imagining that - if not, that would suggest that it
wasn't
entirely a physical problem. Paying attention to how she's walking
seems
to make matters worse. Some interesting ideas there, thanks.
--
A. B.
Post by Robin WilkieI know a Pisces who had a similar problem, not when walking but
driving. She couldn't keep an even pressure on the accelerator.
Progress was jerky. Turned out that the cause was physical. She'd
injured her leg many years earlier. Eventually, some physiotherapy
helped. It just took her a while to realise that something could, and
should, be done.
So, first, the possibility of a physical cause should be investigated.
Does she remember an accident, or could there be a buried memory
of it? In any case, the limb needs to be checked by a physiotherapist.
(If she avoids that, there may be repression).
If there`s nothing wrong physically, then the psychological angle
can be considered. But with Saturn in the picture it`s usually a good
idea to start with body facts.
Forcing a change in mental-physical coordination is often counter-
productive. But simple acknowledgement and awareness of what
happens can be the start of a natural process of correction. When
does it happen? What sort of thoughts precede it? Maybe she just
needs to become more conscious of what goes on with her mind-body
connection.
And of course the whole thing could be more complicated.
I knew a fellow who would go into a trance whenever he walked over
a rise in the ground -- a small hump in the path. He was going through
a very difficult period of schizophrenia with catatonic episodes.
Unfortunately, I didn`t know his birthdate.
-=Rab
Post by unknownSATURN 19 Cap conj NEPTUNE 12 Cap (opp ASC 15 Can).
Now this seems to me (with some other factors) like a good fit for
its
owner's psychological troubles - constantly attempting to pin down
any
question that by its nature can't be pinned down. (One suggestive
feature: along with this is a sort of tic, in which her feet keep
"snagging" on nothing as she walks and she has to jiggle them to get
them free. Given who rules obstructions and who rules feet, does
that
seem like a clue, or is it just me?)
If you think this makes sense, what would you say that suggests
should
be done about it? Just trying not to do it doesn't work, as it seems
to
be more of an involuntary reaction or habit - in fact, any attempt
she
makes to stop it forcibly becomes more of the same, as she worries
herself trying uselessly to impose rules on her own thoughts!
Any suggestions considered, medicinal, psychological, magical or what
you like. Please be as speculative as you wish, nobody is paying me
for
this.
Many thanks,
A. B.