Treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
What Is OCD?
Over two million adults are diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) each year.
People with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) suffer intensely from recurrent unwanted thoughts (obsessions) or rituals (compulsions), which they feel they cannot control. Rituals, such as hand washing, counting, checking or cleaning, are often performed in hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these rituals, however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them increases anxiety. Left untreated, obsessions and the need to perform rituals can take over a person's life. OCD is often a chronic, relapsing illness.
OBSESSIONS are thoughts, images or urges that occur repeatedly. The person does not want to have these ideas, finds them disturbing and intrusive and, usually, recognizes that they really don't make sense. Obsessions are accompanied by uncomfortable feelings, such as fear, disgust or doubt. Common obsessions include:
- Fear of contamination or dirt
- Doubting and having difficulty tolerating uncertainty
- Needing things orderly and symmetrical
- Aggressive or horrific thoughts about losing control and harming yourself or others
- Unwanted thoughts, including aggression, or sexual or religious subject
COMPULSIONS are acts the person repeatedly performs, often according to certain “rules”, typically to try to make their obsessions go away. These rituals are performed to obtain relief from the discomfort caused by the obsessions. As with obsessions, compulsions typically have themes, such as:
- Washing and cleaning
- Checking
- Counting
- Orderliness/arranging
- Following a strict routine
- Demanding reassurance
- Hoarding or saving
In some instances, a person may suffer from only obsessions or only compulsions.
OCD symptoms cause tremendous distress, take up a lot of time (more than an hour a day), or significantly interfere with the person's work, social life or relationships.
Over two million adults are diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) each year.
What Is OCD?
People with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) suffer intensely from recurrent unwanted thoughts (obsessions) or rituals (compulsions), which they feel they cannot control. Rituals, such as hand washing, counting, checking or cleaning, are often performed in hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these rituals, however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them increases anxiety. Left untreated, obsessions and the need to perform rituals can take over a person's life. OCD is often a chronic, relapsing illness.
- Fear of contamination or dirt
- Doubting and having difficulty tolerating uncertainty
- Needing things orderly and symmetrical
- Aggressive or horrific thoughts about losing control and harming yourself or others
- Unwanted thoughts, including aggression, or sexual or religious subject
- Washing and cleaning
- Checking
- Counting
- Orderliness/arranging
- Following a strict routine
- Demanding reassurance
- Hoarding or saving
In some instances, a person may suffer from only obsessions or only compulsions.
OCD symptoms cause tremendous distress, take up a lot of time (more than an hour a day), or significantly interfere with the person's work, social life or relationships.
Developing Insight
Developing Insight
Most individuals with OCD recognize that their obsessions are not just excessive worries about real problems and that the compulsions they perform are excessive or unreasonable. The extent to which a person with OCD realizes that his or her beliefs and actions are unreasonable is called his or her “insight.”
While, we still do not know the exact cause or causes of OCD, research suggests that differences in the brain and genes of those affected may play a role. OCD has been found to be associated with a number of risk factors, such as genetics, environmental factors, temperament and critical life events. Those with OCD also often battle additional mental health conditions, with three in four having a history of anxiety disorders, and nearly one in two battling depression.
Do I Have OCD?
Take a simple screening scale below to find out if symptoms you're experiencing may be related to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
If you have obsessions and/or compulsions, and your total score is 21 or more, you are likely experiencing symptoms of OCD and would benefit from evaluation and treatment. A score of 5-20 suggests that a person MAY have OCD and further evaluation is recommended.
8-15 = Mild OCD
16-23 = Moderate OCD
24-31= Severe OCD
32-40 = Extreme OCD
If you have obsessions and/or compulsions, and your total score is an 8 or higher, you are likely experiencing symptoms of OCD and would benefit from treatment.