|
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Information about OCD
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric illness characterized by persistent and intrusive obsessions and/or repetitive, time-consuming compulsions.
Obsessions are thoughts, images, or impulses that occur over and over again and feel out of one's control. These are not simply excessive concerns about every day problems. Some common obsessions are:
- Fear of dirt or germs
- Concern with order, symmetry, or exactness
- Violent or horrific images
- Sexually disturbing thoughts
- Frequent thoughts about particular sounds, images, words, or numbers
- Fear of losing important things
Compulsions are behaviors that one performs over and over again in an attempt to reduce anxiety or prevent a feared outcome. Some common compulsions are:
- Excessive cleaning or washing (i.e., washing hands repeatedly, brushing teeth again and again or in a certain way)
- Checking (i.e., repeatedly checking if the stove is turned off, going back again and again to see if the door is locked)
- Arranging items in a particular fashion
- Seeking constant reassurance (e.g. asking someone else whether something bad has happened or whether something was done right)
- Repeating a particular behavior (i.e., going in and out of a door a certain number of times, standing up and sitting back down in a chair several times)
- Saving old items, such as newspapers, mail, or trash, when they are not needed
- Counting or doing something a certain number of times
- Repeating a certain word or phrase
Most often, people with OCD experience intrusive and disturbing obsessions and then perform rituals to reduce their anxiety and/or prevent something bad from happening. For example, someone with an excessive fear of germs or contamination may attempt to reduce their anxiety and prevent themselves from getting sick by washing his or her hands for several hours a day. Such behaviors can be extremely time-consuming and usually only provide temporary relief to the OCD sufferer's anxiety.
Although routines, habits, anxieties, and worries are a part of everyone's life, those associated with OCD can be very distressing and consume a great deal of time.
A person can develop OCD at any age, though in the majority of people, symptoms begin before the age of 25. In a study by Rasmussen and Eisen (1992) it was found that about one-third of participants developed symptoms before age 15, about two-thirds had an age of onset before age 25, and fewer than 15% had an age of onset after age 35. The average age of onset was 21 years old for men and 22 years old for women.
How Can I Tell If I Have OCD?
The following questions may help to determine whether you might have OCD. Please note that these questions cannot provide you with a formal diagnosis of OCD.
- Do you have recurrent thoughts that are difficult to control even when you try not to think about them (e.g., thoughts about contamination, danger, aggressive thoughts, religious thoughts, sexual thoughts)?
- If yes: Do you think you have those thoughts more than you ought to or more than makes sense to you?
- Are there any things that you have to do over and over again and can't resist doing, like counting up to a certain number, washing your hands very often, or checking something to make sure that you have done it correctly?
- If yes: Do you think you perform these behaviors more than you ought to or more than makes sense?
A number of other disorders are closely related to or resemble OCD. Body dysmorphic disorder (a preoccupation with appearance), Tourette Syndrome, trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling), and other impulse control disorders, such as nail biting and skin picking, are referred to as the OC-spectrum disorders. These disorders are most closely related to OCD and can frequently be treated using the same or similar techniques or medications as are used for OCD. An experienced clinician could determine whether you have OCD or any of the related disorders.
|
