OCD obsessive-compulsive disorder - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; or OCD) is a common, chronic, and long-term disorder in which a person has repetitive and uncontrollable thoughts (obsessions) and/or behaves (compulsions) so that he or she feels the urge to repeat them over and over again.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder in which people have recurring and unwanted thoughts, ideas, or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel compelled to do something over and over again (compulsions).
Repetitive behaviors, such as washing hands, checking items, or cleaning, can significantly interfere with a person's daily activities and social interactions.
Many people with OCD know or suspect that their obsessions are not true; others may think they may be right (known as bad insight). Even though they know their obsessions aren't true, people with OCD have a hard time taking their focus off the obsessions or stopping the compulsive acts.
A diagnosis of OCD requires the presence of obsessions and/or compulsions that are time-consuming (more than an hour a day), cause severe stress, and interfere with work, social, or other important functions.
Signs and symptoms
The most common OCD symptoms are:
* Washer (Wash)
* Checker (Checking)
* Symmetry and Orderliness (Cleaning up)
* Hoarding (Hoarding)
People with OCD may have symptoms of obsessions, compulsions, or both. These symptoms can interfere with all aspects of life, such as work, school, and personal relationships.
Symptoms of OCD in the form of thought disorders that cause anxiety or fear that lasts continuously, and appear behaviors that are carried out repeatedly to relieve the anxiety and fear. People with OCD who are afraid of being exposed to germs will wash their hands excessively or clean themselves too often.
Obsession
An obsession is a recurring, persistent thought, impulse, or image that causes a repressed emotion such as anxiety or disgust. Many people with OCD realize that thoughts, impulses, or images are the product of their thoughts and are exaggerated or unreasonable.
But generally, these disturbing thoughts cannot be solved by logic or reasoning. Most people with OCD try to ignore or suppress the obsession or compensate for it with other thoughts or actions.
Typical obsessions include excessive worry about contamination or danger, the need for symmetry or accuracy, or prohibited sexual or religious thoughts. An obsession is a recurring thought, urge, or mental image that causes anxiety.
Common symptoms include
* Fear of germs or contamination
* Unwanted forbidden thoughts or taboos involving sex, religion, or danger
* Aggressive thoughts towards others or yourself
* Have everything symmetrical or in perfect order.
Compulsions
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental actions that make a person feel compelled to perform them in response to an obsession. The behavior is intended to prevent or reduce the stress or feared situation. In the most severe cases, the constant repetition of the ritual can fill the day, making normal routines impossible.
Compounding the suffering of this ritual is the knowledge that the compulsions are irrational. Although compulsion can relieve worry, the obsession returns and the cycle repeats itself. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors experienced by people with OCD in response to obsessive thoughts.
Common compulsions include:
* Excessive cleaning and/or handwashing
* Sort and arrange things in a certain and precise way
* Repeatedly checking things, like checking repeatedly to see if the door is locked or the oven is off
Not all rituals or habits are compulsions. Everyone double-checks sometimes. But people with OCD are generally unable to control their thoughts or behaviors, even when those thoughts or behaviors are thought to be excessive. Does not get pleasure from performing behaviors or rituals, but may feel brief relief from thought-provoked anxiety.
Experiencing significant problems in their daily life because of these thoughts or behaviors. Some people with OCD also have motor movement disorders; are sudden, brief, repetitive movements, such as eye blinking and other eye movements, facial grimacing, shrugging, and jerking of the head or shoulders. Common vocal tics include repeated throat-clearing sounds, sniffing, or grunting.
Risk factors
OCD is a common disorder that affects adults, adolescents, and children worldwide. Most people are diagnosed around age 19, usually at an earlier age in boys than in girls, but after age 35 it can happen.
The cause of OCD is unknown, but risk factors include:
Twin and family studies show that people with first-degree relatives (such as a parent, sibling, or child) who have OCD are at higher risk of developing OCD themselves. The risk is higher if a first-degree relative develops OCD as a child or teenager.
Imaging studies of the brain show differences in the frontal cortex and subcortical structures of the brain in patients with OCD. There appears to be a link between OCD symptoms and abnormalities in certain brain areas, but the relationship is not clear. Understanding the cause can help determine treatments to treat OCD.
The association between childhood trauma and obsessive-compulsive symptoms has been reported in several studies. More research is needed to better understand this relationship.
Treatment and Therapy
OCD is usually treated with medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. Although most OCD patients respond to treatment, some patients continue to experience symptoms.
Sometimes people with OCD also experience other mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphic disorder, which is a disorder that mistakenly believes there is an abnormal body part.
Talk with family members or closest friends about the symptoms that appear and are felt, support and understanding from those closest to you are very important and may relieve these symptoms.
Treatment for OCD can include:
* Psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy
* anxiety management techniques
* support and education groups
* drugs.
Psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy can improve symptoms, and this improvement is often sustained over the long term.