Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is an anxiety based mental disorder that causes people to experience obsessive thoughts which repeatedly enter a persons mind and cannot be escaped, causing anxiety, as well as compulsions to perform certain behaviours, often repetitively.  The behaviours are usually linked to the thoughts, for example, obsessive thoughts that their oven is switched on and must be switched off may lead a person with OCD to switch the oven on & off many times before they feel able to walk away from it. 

What are the Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

The main symptoms of OCD are anxiety, obsessional thoughts, and compulsive behaviours, however, the exact forms that these take are very individual.  For some people with OCD their symptoms will be minimal and easy for them to manage, however, for others, their symptoms can have a devastating affect on their lives and can be very debilitating.

Some common obsessions that affect people with OCD include:

• Fear of causing harm to yourself or to others through a deliberate action – for example, fear that you may attack someone else even though this type of behaviour disgusts you.
• Fear of causing harm to yourself or to others through a mistake or accident – for example, fear that you may set the house on fire by accidently leaving the cooker on.
• Fear of contamination by disease, infection or other unpleasant substance.
• A need for symmetry or orderliness.
  
• Fear of committing an act that would seriously offend your religious beliefs.

Some common types of compulsive behaviour that affect people with OCD include:

• Repetitive cleaning.
• Repetitive handwashing.
• Repetitive checking – such as checking that doors are locked, or that the gas or a tap is off. 
• Counting.
• Ordering, arranging and rearranging.
  
• Hoarding. 
• Constantly asking for reassurance.
• Often needing to confess.
• Repeating words silently.

Managing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Symptoms of OCD can be helped through a combination of Psychological therapies and medications.  Self-help techniques may also help to alleviate some of the anxiety associated with OCD.  If you think you are experiencing symptoms of OCD then speak to your GP as they will be able to offer the most appropriate support.