Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as the name suggests is a disorder that consists of a person having recurring thoughts or urges driving them to carry out an action or behaviour repeatedly. One can have symptoms that are more inclined towards obsessions or compulsions or even both. These urges and works range from things like washing hands more often than required, over-exercising, always cleaning things, checking things and the likes.
Most people indulge in such activities, but when this is done repeatedly to the extent that starts interfering with one’s daily routine, it may be noticed as an OCD. It can sometimes get difficult to tell an obsession or compulsion from a habit, but one way to that is by seeing how much time it consumes of one’s day. Obsessions deal with thoughts that often lead to compulsions that deal with actions.
Obsessive thoughts include
- Fear of things being dirty or unhygienic
- The need for something to be kept in a particular place or order
- Constant unsupported suspicion of a partner being unfaithful
- Aggressive thoughts towards self or others
- Forbidden religious or sexual thoughts
Compulsive habits include
- Repeated washing of hands, using sanitizer after every action
- Arranging things in precise order or way and being very particular about the same
- The need to count unwanted stuff like steps, bottles, pens
- Checking and rechecking things like locks, the oven, and lights multiple times
- Fear of using public washrooms or doorknobs
- Fear of being in physical contact with others
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder occurs more often in people who have family members with it may have faced abuse in their childhood, previous experience of trauma or even have depression or anxiety. When a person suffers from OCD, it not only affects their physical and mental well being but also causes distress to the people around.
Conclusion:
Some people with OCD are aware that their actions don’t make sense, but then they continue to do them due to the compulsion of the disorder. Though there is no complete cure for this disorder, there are means of lowering its interference in one’s daily life. In addition to medicines, psychotherapy is one of the other ways to treat OCD. You can contact psychological counselling online available for any quires
