Obsessive thoughts: the problem of therapy.

Eleven patients with obsessive thoughts were treated in two pilot studies. In the first of these patients were given thought-stopping, and this was contrasted with relaxation therapy. In the second study patients were treated by a technique described here as 'satiation', and this was followed by thought-stopping and finally a course of amitriptyline. The overall results were poor, but one type of obsessive thought responded well to satiation.