OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)- What you need to know.
OCD) is a mental disorder where people feel the need to check things repeatedly, perform certain routines repeatedly (called "rituals"), or have certain thoughts repeatedly. People who suffer are unable to control either the thoughts or the activities for more than a short period of time
People with obsessive personalities may, for example like
to have their books arranged alphabetically, without having OCD.
Like a needle getting stuck on an old record, OCD causes the brain to get stuck on a particular thought or urge. For example, you may check the stove 20 times to make sure it’s really turned off, or wash your hands until they’re scrubbed raw.
The sign that someone really has OCD is that their behaviours are driven by fear or intrusive thoughts that they are trying to get rid of.
OCD is most definitely not something sufferers enjoy.
Dr Elizabeth McIngvale, who is at Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Baylor College of Medicine, explained: " They tend to organize things a certain way or do these kind of compulsive behaviors because it makes them feel better.
However, with OCD, it is something that individuals don’t enjoy – there’s nothing they like about it, they are doing it because they feel like they have to in order to get rid of the intrusive thought or fear.
It is debilitating and draining and not something that makes the individual feel better and more productive when they are done.”
Common obsessive thoughts in OCD include:
Fear of being contaminated by germs or dirt or contaminating othersFear of losing control and harming yourself or othersIntrusive sexually explicit or violent thoughts and imagesExcessive focus on religious or moral ideasFear of losing or not having things you might needOrder and symmetry: the idea that everything must line up “just right”Superstitions; excessive attention to something considered lucky or unluckyCompulsive behaviors
Common compulsive behaviors in OCD include:
Excessive double-checking of things, such as locks, appliances, and switchesRepeatedly checking in on loved ones to make sure they’re safeCounting, tapping, repeating certain words, or doing other senseless things to reduce anxietySpending a lot of time washing or cleaningOrdering or arranging things “just so”Praying excessively or engaging in rituals triggered by religious fearAccumulating “junk” such as old newspapers or empty food containers.
Dr McIngvale concluded “Unfortunately, OCD is one of the disorders that takes, on average, about 25 years for people to get a diagnosis and proper treatment, but I really want to make sure that everybody with OCD knows that there is hope and there is help available.”
People with obsessive personalities may, for example like
to have their books arranged alphabetically, without having OCD.
Like a needle getting stuck on an old record, OCD causes the brain to get stuck on a particular thought or urge. For example, you may check the stove 20 times to make sure it’s really turned off, or wash your hands until they’re scrubbed raw.
The sign that someone really has OCD is that their behaviours are driven by fear or intrusive thoughts that they are trying to get rid of.
OCD is most definitely not something sufferers enjoy.
Dr Elizabeth McIngvale, who is at Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Baylor College of Medicine, explained: " They tend to organize things a certain way or do these kind of compulsive behaviors because it makes them feel better.
However, with OCD, it is something that individuals don’t enjoy – there’s nothing they like about it, they are doing it because they feel like they have to in order to get rid of the intrusive thought or fear.
It is debilitating and draining and not something that makes the individual feel better and more productive when they are done.”
Common obsessive thoughts in OCD include:
Fear of being contaminated by germs or dirt or contaminating othersFear of losing control and harming yourself or othersIntrusive sexually explicit or violent thoughts and imagesExcessive focus on religious or moral ideasFear of losing or not having things you might needOrder and symmetry: the idea that everything must line up “just right”Superstitions; excessive attention to something considered lucky or unluckyCompulsive behaviors
Common compulsive behaviors in OCD include:
Excessive double-checking of things, such as locks, appliances, and switchesRepeatedly checking in on loved ones to make sure they’re safeCounting, tapping, repeating certain words, or doing other senseless things to reduce anxietySpending a lot of time washing or cleaningOrdering or arranging things “just so”Praying excessively or engaging in rituals triggered by religious fearAccumulating “junk” such as old newspapers or empty food containers.
Dr McIngvale concluded “Unfortunately, OCD is one of the disorders that takes, on average, about 25 years for people to get a diagnosis and proper treatment, but I really want to make sure that everybody with OCD knows that there is hope and there is help available.”
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