OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is characterized by obsessions (which cause marked anxiety or distress) and/or by compulsions (which serve to neutralize anxiety). Obsessions are persistent ideas, thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress.

The patient develops some habits and/or idiosyncrasies that become his/her obsession and cause alarming distress and anxiety if he/she cannot fulfil the task. They keep on repeating the task so as to satisfy their mind’s fetish. Some common examples are cleaning something repeatedly even though it has already been cleaned several times, walking up and down the staircase, turning switches on/off etc.

Features

The essential features of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder are:

1. recurrent obsessions or compulsions that are severe enough to be time consuming (i.e., they take more than 1 hour a day) or cause marked distress or significant impairment

2. the person has recognized that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable

3. If another disorder is present, the content of the obsessions or compulsions is not restricted to it

4. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition

Symptoms

Many people with OCD know that their thoughts and habits don’t make sense. They don’t do them because they enjoy them, but because they can’t quit. And if they do stop, they feel so bad that they start again.

Obsessive thoughts can include:

Fear of germs or getting dirtyWorries about getting hurt or others being hurtNeed for things to be placed in an exact orderBelief that certain numbers or colors are “good” or “bad”Constant awareness of blinking, breathing, or other body sensationsUnfounded suspicion that a partner is unfaithful

Compulsive habits can include:

Washing hands many times in a rowDoing tasks in a specific order every time, or a certain “good” number of timesRepetitive checking on a locked door, light switch, and other thingsNeed to count things, like steps or bottlesPutting items in an exact order, like cans with labels facing frontFear of touching doorknobs, using public toilets, or shaking hands

Causes

You are more likely to get the disorder if you have:

A parent, sibling, or child with OCDDepression, anxiety or ticsExperience with traumaA history of physical or sexual abuse as a child

Diagnosis

Your doctor may do a physical exam and bloodwork to make sure that your symptoms aren’t caused by something else. She will also talk with you about your feelings, thoughts, and habits. If your thoughts and habits keep you from doing what you want to do for at least an hour a day, you may have OCD.

Treatment

There’s no cure for OCD. But with treatments, you may be able to lessen how much your symptoms interfere with your life. Your doctor may prescribe medicine, send you to talk therapy, called psychotherapy, or both.