Opinion on how the concept of Saussure’s ‘sign’ from ‘semiotics’ may aid in metacognitive therapy of OCD

Abstract

One of the most singular kinds of mental disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental illness that causes repetition of unwanted thoughts or sensations (obsessions) or the urge to do something over and over again (compulsions). Obsessions and compulsions, though different when taken at face value, have formed a kind of unhealthy symbiotic relationship in OCD. In case of OCD, a trigger often stimulates an intrusive thought stirring up fears of probability of transgression in the minds of those suffering from the disorder. This leads to individuals procrastinating obsessively over these perceived probable transgressions for extended periods of time and trying to reason out with them in order to come to a sense of security that they won’t take fruition by compulsively indulging in some sort of ritualistic behaviour or thought process which, they feel, mitigates the perceived probability. This exercise however proves to be futile. However, when taken rationally, the relationships between the trigger and the intrusive thought as well as the intrusive thought and the perceived transgression are arbitrary by nature. Ferdinand de Saussure’s Semiotic theory depicted a ‘Sign’ as being composed of two parts viz the ‘Signifier’ and the ‘Signified’. However, there is no inherent relationship between these two parts just as an intrusive thought has no intrinsic relationship with a perceived transgression which an individual suffering from OCD associates with it. This article tries to rationally suggest the possibility of utilizing Saussure’s theory in aiding the Meta Cognitive Therapy of individuals suffering from OCD.

 Keywords: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Semiotics, Signifier, Signified, Freud, Saussure, Id, Ego, Superego, Metacognition