Is a Mind Reasonably Free of Cognitive Biases an Asset in Our Struggle Against OCD?

[deValentin]

I once watched a survival story video about a hunter who was tracking elk in the mountains and, without noticing it, left familiar grounds and got lost for several days. She thought that if she gave up the chase at a particular point of time, she would miss the opportunity to get what she was after because, in her eyes, she was always within a hair’s breadth of finding it. So, she kept on going. It looks like she fell to a cognitive bias called “emotional reasoning”. It’s a “cognitive process by which an individual concludes that their emotional reaction proves something is true, despite contrary empirical evidence” (Wikipedia). In other words, her desire to reach her goal grew so strong with each step forward that she thought it was more important for her that taking a minute to gain some perspective and evaluate her priorities. It’s a “I feel in the moment it’s more important, therefore it is” type of reasoning.

I think this incident could help us better understand how our minds work in regard to OCD. While in the throes of OCD, we may not value a reasonably unbiased mind because it could make us miss a chance to eliminate a possibility of harm or regain some mental comfort. It’s true, for instance, that to stop ruminating at a certain point could make us miss a crucial thought or to stop satisfying an excessive symmetry need could make life unbearable. However, to let our well-being depend upon the elimination of all possibilities of harm or discomfort puts us in a very precarious situation given the nature of our world. On the other hand, to value a fairly objective judgment is a sustainable source of self-confidence because in most cases and in the long run it’s what’s going to increase our chances to be safe and happy. Were the worst to happen, it’s also what’s going to facilitate our recovery.

Hoping to be totally free of cognitive biases in all situations may be futile and even not desirable, but if we could be aware and get rid of the most flagrant and detrimental ones, I think that will go a long way towards an OCD-free life.

[Natureloverpeace]

Check out Rational Mind, Wise Mind, Emotional Mind from DBT by Marsha Linehan.

[deValentin in reply to Natureloverpeace]

I just watched a short video (13 min.) entitled "DBT Skills: Wise Mind, Emotional Mind & Reasonable Mind" as you suggested. I found it interesting because I always believed that reason and emotions have to be reconciled at some level, and the "wise mind" approach seems to be an excellent way to do it.