Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Symptoms & Treatment

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness that causes anxiety. People with OCD have uncontrollable obsessions (fears, ... ThinkyoumayhaveCOVID-19? Findoutwhereyoucangettested Needavaccineorbooster? Nowschedulingforages6monthsandup ComingtoaClevelandCliniclocation? Visitationandmaskrequirements Home / HealthLibrary / Disease&Conditions Obsessive-CompulsiveDisorder Obsessive-compulsivedisorder(OCD)isamentalillnessthatcausesanxiety.PeoplewithOCDhaveuncontrollableobsessions(fears,thoughtsorurges).Theytrytolessenanxietywithrepetitiveactions,calledcompulsions.OCDcausesdistressandinterfereswithnormallife.Cognitive-behavioraltherapyandmedicationscanhelp. Appointments&Access ContactUs Overview SymptomsandCauses DiagnosisandTests ManagementandTreatment Prevention Outlook/Prognosis LivingWith Obsessive-CompulsiveDisorder Overview SymptomsandCauses DiagnosisandTests ManagementandTreatment Prevention Outlook/Prognosis LivingWith BackToTop Overview Whatisobsessive-compulsivedisorder(OCD)? Obsessive-compulsivedisorder(OCD)isamentalillness,withachronic(long-lasting)stateofanxiety.Ittrapspeopleinaconstantcycleofrepeatedobsessionsandcompulsions: OCDobsessions:PeoplewithOCDhaverepetitiveanddistressingfearsorurgestheycan’tcontrol.Theseobsessivethoughtscauseintenseanxiety. OCDcompulsions:Tocontrolobsessionsandanxiety,peoplewithOCDturntocertainbehaviors,ritualsorroutines.Theydosorepeatedly.Theydon’twanttoperformthesecompulsivebehaviorsanddon’tgetpleasurefromthem.Buttheyfeelliketheyhavetofollowalongortheiranxietywillgetworse.Compulsionsonlyhelptemporarily,though.Theobsessionssooncomeback,triggeringareturntothecompulsions.Thisloopleadstoaconstantcycleofanxiety. Whogetsobsessive-compulsivedisorder(OCD)? Everyoneexperiencesobsessionsandcompulsionsatsomepoint.Forexample,it’scommontooccasionallydouble-checkthestoveorthelocks.Somepeoplealsojustlikethingsneat.ButOCDismoreextreme.Itcantakeuphoursofaperson’sday.Itgetsinthewayofnormallifeandactivities. OCDisfairlycommon,affectingabout1%ofthepopulation.Ithappensamongpeopleofallracesandbackgrounds,aswellasbothsexes.Itusuallystartswhenpeopleareyounger,fromchildhoodtoearlyadulthood. SymptomsandCauses Whatcausesobsessive-compulsivedisorder? Scientistsdon’tunderstandexactlywhatcausesOCD.Certainfactorsoreventsmayincreaseaperson’schancesofdevelopingthecondition,orcauseanepisodeofOCD: Changesinlivingsituation,suchasmoving,gettingmarriedordivorced,orstartinganewschoolorjob. Deathofalovedoneorotheremotionaltrauma. Historyofabuse. Illness(ifyougettheflu,forexample,youmaystartacycleofobsessingaboutgermsandwashingcompulsively). Lowlevelsofserotonin,anaturalsubstanceinthebrainthatmaintainsmentalbalance. Overactivityinareasthebrain. Problemsatworkorschool. Problemswithanimportantrelationship. Whatarethesymptomsofobsessive-compulsivedisorder? ThesymptomsofOCDareobsessionsandcompulsionsthatinterferewithnormalactivities.Forexample,symptomsmayoftenpreventyoufromgettingtoworkontime.Oryoumayhavetroublegettingreadyforbedinareasonableamountoftime.ApersonwithOCDmayknowtheyhaveaproblembutcan’tstop. Whatareexamplesofobsessivethoughts? Obsessionsareunwanted,intrusivethoughtsthatcauseintenseanxiety.Examplesinclude: Fearofgermsordirt. Fearofcausingharmtosomeoneelse. Fearofmakingamistake. Fearofbeingembarrassedinpublic. Feelingsofdoubtordisgust. Needfororder,neatness,symmetryorperfection. Needforconstantreassurance. Sexualthoughtsthatsocietymayconsiderunacceptable. Whatareexamplesofcompulsivebehaviors? Compulsionsareactionssomeonetakesinanattempttogetridofobsessionsoranxiety.Examplesinclude: Arrangingthingsinaveryspecificway,suchasitemsonyourdresser. Bathing,cleaningorwashinghandsoverandover. Checkingcertainthingsrepeatedly,suchasalockorthestove. Collectingorhoardingthingsthathavenopersonalorfinancialvalue. Constantlycheckingthatyouhaven’tdonesomeoneharm. Countingrepeatedlyorsayingcertainwordsorprayerswhiledoingothertasks. Eatingfoodinaspecificorder. Refusingtoshakehandsortouchobjectsthatotherpeopletouchalot,likedoorknobs. Performingataskaspecificnumberoftimes,suchasalwaysflippingalightswitchseventimes. PeoplewithOCDmayalsohavetics—brief,sudden,repetitivemovementsoractions,like: Blinkingtheireyes. Grunting. Jerkingtheirhead. Shruggingtheirshoulders. Snifflingtheirnoseorclearingtheirthroat. DiagnosisandTests Howisobsessive-compulsivedisorder(OCD)diagnosed? There’snotestforOCD.Ahealthcareprovidermakesthediagnosisafteraskingyouaboutyoursymptoms.TheproviderusescriteriaexplainedintheDiagnosticandStatisticalManualofMentalDisorders,5thEdition(DSM-V). Peopleoftenusethephrases“obsessing,”“obsessed”and“OCD”verycasuallyineverydayconversations.ButOCD,accordingtotheDSM-V,isdiagnosedbasedonspecificfactors: Thepersonhasobsessions,compulsionsorboth. Theobsessionsorcompulsionstakeupalotoftime(morethananhourperday). Theobsessionsorcompulsionscausedistressoraffectparticipationinsocialactivities,workresponsibilitiesorotherlifeevents. Thesymptomsaren’tcausedbydrugs,alcohol,medicationsoranothermedicalproblem. Thesymptomsaren’texplainedbyanothermentaldisorder(suchasgeneralizedanxietydisorder,eatingdisorderorbodyimagedisorder). ManagementandTreatment Whattreatmentsareavailableforobsessive-compulsivedisorder(OCD)? IfyouhavesymptomsofOCDthatinterferewithyourdailylife,youshouldtalktoahealthcareprovider.Aprofessionalwhoisspeciallytrainedinmentalillnesscanofferseveralstrategies: Cognitive-behavioraltherapy(CBT):Cognitive-behavioraltherapyisatypeofpsychotherapy.Youwilltalktoatherapist,whowillhelpyouexamineandunderstandyourthoughtsandemotions.Overseveralsessions,CBTcanhelpyoustopnegativehabits,perhapsreplacingthemwithhealthierwaystocope. Medications:Drugscalledserotoninreuptakeinhibitors(SRIs),selectiveSRIs(SSRIs)andtricyclicantidepressantsmayhelp.Theyincreaselevelsofserotonin.Examplesincludeclomipramine,fluoxetine,fluvoxamine,paroxetineandsertraline. Exposureandresponseprevention(EX/RP):Withthistherapy,youdothethingthatcausesanxiety.Thehealthcareproviderthenpreventsyoufromrespondingwithacompulsion.Forexample,theprovidermayaskyoutotouchdirtyobjectsbutthenstopyoufromwashingyourhands. WhathappensifCBTandmedicationsdon’tworkforOCD?IfOCDdoesn’trespondtoCBTandmedication,ahealthcareprovidermaytrytoimprovemood,specificallydepression,withthesetherapies: Electroconvulsivetherapy(ECT):Electroconvulsivetherapyuseselectrodesthatgetattachedtothehead.Thesewiresdeliverelectricshockstothebrain.Theshockscausesmallseizures,whichhelpthebrainreleasehelpfulchemicals. Transcranialmagneticstimulation(TMS):Transcranialmagneticstimulationusesamagneticdeviceplacedonthehead.Itdeliverselectricalimpulsestothebrain.Theimpulsescausethebraintoreleasechemicalsknowntoimprovemood. YourprovidermightsuggestusingmindfulnesstotreatOCDandtoimprovetheusefulnessofotherOCDtreatments. Prevention CanIpreventobsessive-compulsivedisorder(OCD)? Youcan’tpreventOCD.Butearlydiagnosisandtreatmentcanhelpyoureduceitssymptomsanditseffectsonyourlife. Outlook/Prognosis Whatistheoutlookforpeoplewithobsessive-compulsivedisorder(OCD)? Withmedication,CBTorboth,mostpeoplewithOCDcanmanageobsessionsandcompulsionsandenjoylife. LivingWith WhenshouldItalktomyhealthcareprovideraboutobsessive-compulsivedisorder(OCD)? Talktoyourhealthcareproviderifyouhaveobsessionsorcompulsions.Makesuretomention: Howoftenyouhavesymptoms. Howlongtheylast. Whethertheymakeyoulateforworkorsocialactivities. Whetheryouavoidsocialsituationsbecauseofanxiety. Whetheryouareusingdrugsoralcoholtocope. Behonestwithyourhealthcareproviderabouthowthesymptomsinfluenceyourlife.Treatmentsaremoreeffectivewhenyourproviderunderstandshowtheconditionaffectsyou. AnotefromClevelandClinic OCDdoesn’tgoawaybyitself,sotalktoyourhealthcareprovideraboutyoursymptoms.Behonestaboutanyobsessionsandcompulsionsandhowthey’reaffectingyourlife.CBTandmedicationscanhelpcontrolyoursymptoms,soyoucanwork,enjoysocialactivitiesandfeelmoreproductive. 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