What is OCD? - International OCD Foundation

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that affects people of all ages and walks of life, and occurs when a person gets caught in a ... Español AboutOCD Obsessivecompulsivedisorder(OCD)isamentalhealthdisorderthataffectspeopleofallagesandwalksoflife,andoccurswhenapersongetscaughtinacycleofobsessionsandcompulsions.Obsessionsareunwanted,intrusivethoughts,images,orurgesthattriggerintenselydistressingfeelings.Compulsionsarebehaviorsanindividualengagesintoattempttogetridoftheobsessionsand/ordecreasehisorherdistress. Mostpeoplehaveobsessivethoughtsand/orcompulsivebehaviorsatsomepointintheirlives,butthatdoesnotmeanthatweallhave“someOCD.”Inorderforadiagnosisofobsessivecompulsivedisordertobemade,thiscycleofobsessionsandcompulsionsbecomessoextremethatitconsumesalotoftimeandgetsinthewayofimportantactivitiesthatthepersonvalues. Whatexactlyareobsessionsandcompulsions? Obsessionsarethoughts,imagesorimpulsesthatoccuroverandoveragainandfeeloutsideoftheperson’scontrol.IndividualswithOCDdonotwanttohavethesethoughts andfindthemdisturbing.Inmostcases,peoplewithOCDrealizethatthesethoughts don’tmakeanysense. Obsessionsaretypicallyaccompaniedbyintenseanduncomfortablefeelingssuchasfear,disgust,doubt,orafeelingthatthingshavetobedoneinawaythatis“justright.”InthecontextofOCD,obsessionsaretimeconsumingandgetinthewayofimportantactivitiesthepersonvalues.Thislastpartisextremelyimportanttokeepinmindasit,inpart,determineswhethersomeonehasOCD—apsychologicaldisorder—ratherthananobsessivepersonalitytrait. Unfortunately,“obsessing”or“beingobsessed”arecommonlyusedtermsineverydaylanguage.Thesemorecasualusesofthewordmeansthatsomeoneispreoccupiedwithatopicoranideaorevenaperson.“Obsessed”inthiseverydaysensedoesn’tinvolveproblemsinday-to-daylivingandevenhasapleasurablecomponenttoit.Youcanbe“obsessed”withanewsongyouhearontheradio,butyoucanstillmeetyourfriendfordinner,getreadyforbedinatimelyway,gettoworkontimeinthemorning,etc.,despitethisobsession.Infact,individualswithOCDhaveahardtimehearingthisusageof“obsession”asitfeelsasthoughitdiminishes theirstrugglewithOCDsymptoms. Evenifthecontentofthe“obsession”ismoreserious,forexample,everyonemighthavehadathoughtfromtimetotimeaboutgettingsick,orworryingaboutalovedone’ssafety,orwonderingifamistaketheymademightbecatastrophicinsomeway,thatdoesn’tmeantheseobsessionsarenecessarilysymptomsofOCD.WhilethesethoughtslookthesameaswhatyouwouldseeinOCD,someonewithoutOCDmayhavethesethoughts,bemomentarilyconcerned,andthenmoveon.Infact,researchhasshownthatmostpeoplehaveunwanted“intrusivethoughts”fromtimetotime,butinthecontextofOCD,theseintrusivethoughtscomefrequentlyandtriggerextremeanxietythatgetsinthewayofday-to-dayfunctioning. CommonObsessionsinOCD[1] ContaminationObsessions Fearofcominginto contactwithperceivedcontaminatedsubstances/things,suchas: Bodyfluids(e.g.urine,feces) Germs/disease(e.g.herpes,HIV,COVID-19) Environmentalcontaminants(e.g.asbestos,radiation) Householdchemicals(e.g.cleaners,solvents,batteryacid) Dirt ViolentObsessions Fearofactingonanimpulsetoharmoneself Fearofactingonanimpulsetoharmothers Fearofviolentorhorrificimagesinone'smind ResponsibilityObsessions Fearofbeingresponsibleforsomethingterriblehappening(e.g.fire,burglary,caraccident) Fearofharmingothersbecauseofnotbeingcarefulenough(e.g.droppingsomethingonthegroundthatmightcausesomeonetoslipandthemselves) Perfectionism-relatedObsessions Excessiveconcernaboutevennessorexactness Excessiveconcernwithaneedtoknoworremember Fearoflosingorforgettingimportantinformationwhenthrowingsomethingout Excessiveconcernwithperformingtasks"perfectly"or"correctly" Fearofmakingmistakes SexualObsessions Unwantedthoughtsormentalimagesrelatedtosex,including: Fearofactingonasex-relatedimpulse Fearsaboutsexuallyharmingchildren,relatives,orothers Fearsaboutaggressivesexualbehaviorstowardsothers Religious/MoralObsessions(Scrupulosity) ExcessiveconcernwithoffendingGod,damnation,and/orconcernaboutblasphemy Excessiveconcernwithright/wrongormorality IdentityObsessions Excessiveconcernwithone'ssexualorientation. Excessiveconcernwithone'sgenderidentity. OtherObsessions Relationship-relatedobsessions(e.g.excessiveconcernaboutwhetherone’spartneris“theone,"thepartner’sflawsandqualities) Thesetypesofobsessionscancenteraroundromanticpartners,relatives,friends,andotherrelationships. Obsessionsaboutdeath/existence(e.g.excessivepreoccupationwithexistentialandphilosophicalthemes,suchasdeath,theuniverse,andone’srolein“thegrandscheme.” Realevent/falsememoryobsessions(e.g.excessiveconcernaboutthingsthathappenedinthepastandwhatimpactstheymayhavehad) Emotionalcontaminationobsessions(e.g.fearof"catching"personalitytraitsorpersonalcharacteristicsofotherindividuals) Compulsionsarethesecondpartofobsessivecompulsivedisorder.Thesearerepetitivebehaviorsorthoughtsthatapersonuses withtheintentionofneutralizing,counteracting,ormakingtheirobsessionsgoaway.PeoplewithOCDrealizethisisonlyatemporarysolutionbutwithoutabetterwaytocopetheyrelyonthecompulsionasatemporaryescape.Compulsionscanalsoincludeavoidingsituationsthattrigger obsessions.Compulsionsaretimeconsumingandgetinthewayofimportantactivitiesthepersonvalues. Similarto obsessions,notallrepetitivebehaviorsor“rituals”arecompulsions. Youhavetolookatthefunctionandthecontextofthebehavior.Forexample,bedtimeroutines,religiouspractices,andlearninganewskillallinvolvesomelevelofrepeatinganactivityoverandoveragain,butareusuallyapositiveandfunctionalpartofdailylife.Behaviorsdependonthecontext.Arrangingandorderingbooksforeighthoursadayisn’tacompulsionifthepersonworksinalibrary.Similarly,youmayhave“compulsive”behaviorsthatwouldn’tfallunderOCD,ifyouarejustasticklerfordetailsorliketohavethingsneatlyarranged.Inthiscase,“compulsive”referstoapersonalitytraitorsomethingaboutyourselfthatyouactuallypreferorlike.Inmostcases,individualswithOCDfeeldriventoengageincompulsivebehaviorandwouldrathernothavetodothesetimeconsumingandmanytimestorturousacts.InOCD,compulsivebehaviorisdonewiththeintentionoftryingtoescapeorreduceanxietyorthepresenceofobsessions Common CompulsionsinOCD[2] WashingandCleaning Washinghandsexcessivelyorinacertainway Excessiveshowering,bathing,tooth-brushing,grooming,ortoiletroutines Cleaninghouseholditemsorotherobjectsexcessively Doingotherthingstopreventorremovecontactwithcontaminants Checking Checkingthatyoudidnot/willnotharmothers Checkingthatyoudidnot/willnotharmyourself Checkingthatnothingterriblehappened Checkingthatyoudidnotmakeamistake Checkingsomepartsofyourphysicalconditionorbody Repeating Rereadingorrewriting Repeatingroutineactivities(examples:goinginoroutdoors,gettingupordownfromchairs) Repeatingbodymovements(example:tapping,touching,blinking) Repeatingactivitiesin"multiples"(examples:doingataskthreetimesbecausethreeisa"good,""right,""safe"number) MentalCompulsions Mentalreviewofeventstopreventharm(tooneselfothers,topreventterribleconsequences) Prayingtopreventharm(tooneselfothers,topreventterribleconsequences) Countingwhileperformingatasktoendona"good,""right,"or"safe"number "Cancelling"or"Undoing"(example:replacinga"bad"wordwitha"good"wordtocancelitout) OtherCompulsions Puttingthingsinorderorarrangingthingsuntilit"feelsright" Tellingaskingorconfessingtogetreassurance Avoidingsituationsthatmighttriggeryourobsessions LearnMoreAboutOCD WhoGetsOCD? WhatCausesOCD? HowisOCDDiagnosed? HowisOCDTreated? HowDoIFindHelpforOCD? RelatedDisorders Sharethis:TwitterFacebookLinkedInRedditEmailSources:[1]Clark,DavidA.&Radomsky,AdamS.(2014).Introduction:Aglobalperspectiveonunwantedintrusivethoughts.JournalofObsessive-CompulsiveandRelatedDisorders.Availableonline18February2014.DOI:10.1016/j.jocrd.2014.02.001http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211364914000128↩[2]ReprintedwithpermissionbyNewHarbingerPublications,Inc.ThisisanadaptationoftheOCChecklistwhichappearsinS.Wilhelm&G.S.Steketee'sCognitiveTherapyforObsessive-CompulsiveDisorderAGuideforProfessionals(2006).www.newharbinger.com↩ InThisSection MoreResources FactSheets&Brochures BooksAboutOCD FromtheExperts OtherResources Searchiocdf.org Searchfor: YourgifthasthepowertochangethelifeofsomeonelivingwithOCD.DonateMembership [Placeholdercontentforpopuplink] WordPressDownloadManager-BestDownloadManagementPlugin Close SendtoEmailAddress YourName YourEmailAddress Cancel Postwasnotsent-checkyouremailaddresses! 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