What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by recurrent thoughts or actions that interfere with a person’s life. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, OCD is categorized as an anxiety disorder. Other anxiety disorders include:
- Panic Disorder
- Social Phobia
- Specific Phobia (fear of specific things, such as spiders)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
While there is some overlap between the different anxiety disorders and their treatments, OCD is unique because of its obsessions and/or compulsions.
Do I Have OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric illness. People with OCD spend large amounts of time and energy on repetitive thoughts and actions, such as cleaning or counting. These obsessions and compulsions may cause a person to feel trapped, miserable, or unable to function.
If you find yourself thinking about something over and over again, or doing something over and over again, and if you feel these rituals are out of your control, you may want to read further. OCD is actually the fourth most common psychiatric diagnosis (after phobias, substance abuse, and depression), so you are certainly not alone.
What Is an Obsession?
An obsession is a recurrent, intrusive thought. It is more than just an everyday worry, and is usually distressing or disturbing to the person experiencing it. Examples include excessive preoccupation with the following:
- Cleanliness, germs, or disease (“What if I get AIDS?”)
- Doubting oneself (“Did I lock the door?”)
- Neatness, symmetry, or specific numbers (“I have to have everything in its place.”)
What Is a Compulsion?
A compulsion is a repetitive behavior, often aimed at “neutralizing” the obsession. People feel driven to perform these acts in order to respond to their obsession or to prevent something bad from happening. Examples include the following:
- Hand washing (to the point of dry and cracked hands)
- Counting, rearranging (buying everything in pairs, or turning on and off the light switch a certain number of times)
- Checking (repeatedly checking door locks, the stove, underneath one’s car)
People with OCD can have obsessions, compulsions, or both. Most people with OCD, however, have an obsession (like disease) and an associated compulsion (like washing).
What Happens to People With OCD?
OCD can begin at any age, including childhood. Symptoms often begin suddenly, or following a stressful life event. Some people with OCD have relatively mild symptoms, while others are debilitated to the point of being unable to leave the house. Symptoms may wax and wane, or they may remain constant. Many people with OCD also have depression.
The good news is that there is treatment:
- Medications, usually prescribed by a psychiatrist, can be very helpful. The most commonly used medications for OCD are selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) and clomipramine.
- Psychotherapy (“talk therapy”) is extremely important, too. Therapists treating people with OCD often use various forms of behavior therapy.
How Do I Get Help?
If you think you may have OCD, you should seek treatment. A variety of resources are available to assist you in finding a mental health practitioner with whom you feel comfortable.
Doctors, psychiatrists, and nurse practitioners can prescribe medications. A psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor, social worker, or other mental health practitioner can provide psychotherapy.
Support groups are often helpful too. For people with OCD, support groups can provide additional education about the disease, as well as a sense of not being alone. Support groups can be beneficial for loved ones, too, who may need help in understanding their role in the recovery process.
Sources:
American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 2000.
Sadock, Benjamin J and Sadock, Virginia A. Synopsis of Psychiatry, Ninth Edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2003.