Want to know what Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is? Here are some most common symptoms!
Here is what you need to know about OCD. What it means and what it looks like.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is when people have recurring unwanted thoughts, ideas, or sensations or obsession that makes one feel the drive to do something repetitively as a compulsion. These repeated behaviors can either be: washing hands, checking a lock on the door, cleaning things, or counting to a number. It can be categorized as a mental illness where an individual has both obsession and compulsion.
OCD is not the same as having habits and thinking bad or negative thoughts. An obsessive thought might be similar to thinking that certain something is either extremely good or extremely bad. But a compulsive habit is doing something repeatedly. For example, if you touch something dirty, you then go on to wash your hands 9 times after. Even though they want to stop, they don’t possess the ability to stop and inevitably end up feeling powerless.
Here are some symptoms:
OCD obsessions are repeated, persistent, and unwanted. These thoughts are extremely intrusive which causes distress and anxiety. To keep them in control, an individual follows ritualistic patterns concerning obsessive thought.
According to the Mayo Clinic obsessions often have themes to them, such as:
* 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 subjects
Examples of obsession signs and symptoms include:
* Fear of being contaminated by touching objects others have touched
* Doubts that you’ve locked the door or turned off the stove
* Intense stress when objects aren’t orderly or facing a certain way
* Images of driving your car into a crowd of people
* Thoughts about shouting obscenities or acting inappropriately in public
* Unpleasant sexual images
* Avoidance of situations that can trigger obsessions, such as shaking hands
OCD compulsions are repetitive behaviors one feels driven to perform. These behaviors are acts that are meant to reduce anxiety or feelings of uneasiness related to your anxiety. You perform these activities to prevent something bad from happening. These acts give the individual temporary relief but not a permanent solution. These compulsions are also unrealistic solutions when it comes to the problem.
As with obsessions, compulsions typically have themes, such as:
* Washing and cleaning
* Checking
* Counting
* Orderliness
* Following a strict routine
* Demanding reassurance
Examples of compulsion signs and symptoms include:
* Hand-washing until your skin becomes raw
* Checking doors repeatedly to make sure they’re locked
* Checking the stove repeatedly to make sure it’s off
* Counting in certain patterns
* Silently repeating a prayer, word, or phrase
* Arranging your canned goods to face the same way
There are various forms of OCD and it can start at an extremely early age. But if these symptoms go untreated for years they gradually become extremely severe and prevent individuals from leading a normal life. It inhibits an individual’s ability to think clearly in stressful situations and generally worsens a negative situation. It is an illness that becomes all-consuming in turn disabling the individual.
There is a difference between being a perfectionist and someone who suffers from OCD. If you feel as though you are suffering from OCD it is always better to seek professional help for the same. If you feel as though these symptoms affect your daily functionality and quality of life then seek help. If you have any thoughts on this topic, drop a comment in the chat below and we’ll chat.
Read our article on mental health issues women face here
Read more on OCD here
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Originally published at https://www.fuzia.com.