Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Anxiety Disorders
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Causes of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Symptoms and Diagnosis
- Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Long Term Outlook
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What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?
Enthusiasm or Obsession?
‘Obsession’ is a word in common use. We might say that a colleague is obsessed by their work, a friend is obsessed with their new partner or that an acquaintance is obsessed with collecting old records. Many people have interests that immerse them, and occupy much of their mind at least some of the time.
The ‘obsessive’ part of obsessive-compulsive disorder has a rather darker meaning. Clinical obsession is when a particular, recurrent thought, impulse or image causes unhappiness or a negative change in lifestyle. For instance, the most common manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder has the sufferer incredibly worried about dirt or germs. They worry excessively that they will make themselves sick, that they are spreading disease, or that they will infect others. To worry a bit, in some situations, is normal and makes for good health. However, a sufferer may feel that they are ‘contaminated’ if they so much as touch a surface in a public place.
Other obsessions may be purely mental. For instance, some sufferers report recurring, distasteful pornographic or violent images appearing in their imagination. Try as they might, they are unable to prevent the images from coming.
This leads to the ‘compulsive’ part of the disorder. Each sufferer has a ritual for removing the bad feeling associated with the obsession. They may describe this ritual as ‘cleansing’. Rituals can grow to be extremely elaborate. For instance, a person obsessed with germs may compulsively wash their hands for over an hour, in a particular sequence. A sufferer with disturbing mental imagery may feel that they must imagine a particular series of scenes to regain calm. Similarly, a sufferer worried about leaving the oven on may check it dozens of times before leaving the house.
An ‘Anxiety Disorder’ Without Anxiety?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is categorized as an anxiety disorder. However, some specialists feel that this categorization is incorrect, as sufferers do not always report feelings of anxiety. Speaking about their obsessions, some sufferers report sadness, worry, guilt or discomfort, but no anxiety.
However, the categorization may be useful because of the common ground with other anxiety disorders. Panic disorder and social phobia sufferers, for instance, often receive similar cognitive-behavioral treatment to obsessive compulsives. Like all anxiety disorders, too, obsessive-compulsive disorder is caused by a variety of factors. It is not caused by any form of organic brain damage.
Obsessive-Compulsive Tendencies are Common
Obsessive-compulsive disorder was once thought to be rare. It now appears that it is perhaps more common than any other anxiety disorder. It is thought to be present in one percent of the population. Unfortunately, it is impossible to get accurate numbers of sufferers, as some never seek help. Many go through their lives disguising their compulsions and never discussing their obsessions with anyone else.
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