OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
By: Kylie Ward
Description
- An anxiety disorder characterized by uncontrollable, unwanted thoughts and repetitive, ritualized behaviors you feel compelled to perform.
- Considered a mental illness
- You probably recognize that your obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors are irrational.
- Obsessions are involuntary, seemingly uncontrollable thoughts, images, or impulses that occur over and over again in your mind.
- Compulsions are behaviors or rituals that you feel driven to act out again and again.
- Most people are diagnosed by about age 19.
Signs and Symptoms: Main Idea
- Have repeated thoughts or images about many different things
- Do the same rituals over and over
- Can't control the unwanted thoughts and behaviors
- Spend at least 1 hour a day on the thoughts and rituals
Signs and Symptoms: Obsessive Thoughts
- Fear of being contaminated by germs or dirt or contaminating others
- Fear of causing harm to yourself or others
- Excessive focus on religious or moral ideas
- Fear of losing or not having things you might need
- Order and symmetry
- Superstitions
Signs and Symptoms: Compulsive Behaviors
- Excessive double-checking of things
- Repeatedly checking in on loved ones to make sure they’re safe
- Counting, tapping, repeating certain words, or doing other senseless things to reduce anxiety
- Spending a lot of time washing or cleaning
- Ordering or arranging things just because
- Accumulating old newspapers or empty food containers
Treatment
- On average, it takes 14-17 years from the time OCD begins for people to get the right treatment
- Psychotherapy (Cognitive behavior therapy)
- Family and Group Therapy
- Medication
- Both (Therapy and Mediation)
- Depends on the person and how bad the case is