Risks and Causes

OCD is a complex illness with many causes including biological, psychological and social factors. A psychological process that may help cause and maintain OCD symptoms is thought-action fusion. Learn more about thought-action fusion and OCD

It has long been thought that OCD and personality might be related. For example, Freud thought that personality characteristics such as indecisiveness and orderliness played a large role in the development of OCD. Although there does not appear to be a single OCD personality type that is vulnerable to developing OCD, recent research suggests a relationship between OCD and personality.

There are many OCD risk factors. A risk factor is something that increases a person’s chances of eventually developing a given illness. Risk factors can include a person’s age, gender, family history, the kinds of behavior they engage in, the type of environment they grew up in, and the experiences they’ve had. Let’s review some of the OCD risk factors.

With the human genome having finally been mapped out, the search is on for those genes that cause us to develop illnesses including OCD. Although it is clear that OCD has a genetic basis, it is not yet clear which genes may be important and under what circumstances.

Obsessions, in which you experience seemingly uncontrollable and extremely distressing thoughts, are a core symptom of OCD. Although a natural reaction for many affected people is to try and suppress these thoughts, research shows that thought suppression can actually make obsessions worse.

There are many theories which attempt to explain the causes of OCD. Although biological theories of OCD have come to the forefront, cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic explanations may also help our understanding of the causes of OCD.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by motor vehicle accidents, falls or other accidents and firearms is a major source of disability and suffering world-wide. In addition to cognitive problems it is not uncommon for individuals who have suffered a TBI to develop symptoms consistent with one or more forms of mental illness including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

A concise overview of the various risk factors for OCD.

A brief overview of the many causes of OCD by the Center For Addiction and Mental Health.

OCD is one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses. Learn the basics of OCD: What kind of mental illness is OCD? Who is affected by OCD? What are the main symptoms of OCD? Where does OCD come from?

Stress is one of the biggest triggers of symptoms of OCD. Learn more about the relationships between stress and mental illness.

Although OCD is complex illness with many causes and risk-factors, understanding the psychological factors that cause and maintain OCD symptoms such as cognitive distortions is essential. It is now clear that OCD is characterized by a number of errors in thinking or so-called cognitive distortions that can potentially lead to obsessions and compulsions. Learn more about cognitive distorti…

OCD perfectionism has long been thought to play a role in the development and maintenance of OCD symptoms. Let’s explore how to cope with OCD perfectionism.

Mental illnesses such as OCD are often chalked up to “chemical imbalances”, however, in reality the picture is much more complex.