Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

What is OCD?

OCD full form refers to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, a mental health condition that can affect people of all ages. Obsession means unwanted thoughts and images that cause you to perform repetitive behaviour. Most of the people have some obsessive thoughts about something in their life that doesn’t mean they all have some “OCD”. It is always a lifetime condition but symptoms can come and go anytime.

Difference Between OCD & OCPD

OCD refers to "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder" whereas OCPD refers to "Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder". OCPD leads to an intense focus on perfection and control.

In OCD, a person's obsession and compulsion is problematic and they must need professional help to treat the condition.

In OCPD people generally don’t think that there’s something wrong in their behavior and beliefs.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Symptoms & Signs

The main symptoms are Obsession and compulsion that interfere even in normal activities.

OCD Examples:

Obsessions: A person with OCD may have persistent, distressing thoughts about germs and contamination. They might constantly worry about getting sick or spreading germs to others.

Compulsions: To reduce this anxiety, they might feel compelled to wash their hands excessively, sometimes for hours, or clean surfaces repeatedly, even though they know it's irrational. If they don't perform these actions, they might feel intense distress.

This cycle of obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions can interfere significantly with daily life, work, and relationships.

You may know that these symptoms are problematic for you but you cannot stop thinking about it. So, if you have anyone in your family suffering from OCD do help them with proper treatment. 

Obsession in OCD

In OCD, obsessions are unwanted thoughts which someone cannot control or could say there are some mental images that trigger anxiety. People with OCD are unable to control thoughts, even when they know the thoughts are illogical.

Obsession generally have these themes:

1. Fear of Dirt
2. Doubting of having a hard time dealing with uncertainty.
3. Things should be balanced or in order.
4. Aggressive thoughts or overthinking about someone close or yourself.
5. Unwanted thoughts which couldn’t happen or make no sense.

Common Examples of Obsessions Include:

• Fear of touching objects touched by someone else.
• Fear about if the door is locked, stove is on and cross-checking again and again.
• Stress when objects aren’t placed orderly.
• Images of driving a car in a crowd and getting stuck.
• Unwanted Sexual thoughts.
• Fear of making mistakes.
• Feelings of doubt or disgust.

Compulsion in OCD

In OCD, compulsions are repetitive actions that you feel compelled to perform to relieve or eliminate obsessive thoughts.

People with OCD don’t want to carry out these compulsive behaviors and don’t find enjoyment in them. However, they feel driven to do them to prevent their anxiety from worsening. Unfortunately, this relief is only temporary, as the obsessions soon return, leading to more compulsions.

Compulsions can take up a lot of time and interfere with daily activities you care about. They don’t have to be directly related to the obsessions.

Compulsion Generally Have These Themes:

1. Washing and Cleaning again and again.
2. Checking things several times.
3. Counting
4. Ordering 
5. Following a routine.
6. Demanding assurance.

Examples of Compulsions Include:

• Wash hands until skin becomes raw.
• Arranging items at a specific place (e.g. drawers or objects).
• Counting in certain patterns (e.g. even or odd).
• Silently repeating prayer, word or phrase when scared of something.
• Trying to replace imaginary bad thoughts into good.
• Avoiding situations that might trigger obsessions, such as refusing to shake hands or touch frequently used objects like doorknobs.

OCD Causes

The cause of OCD isn’t discovered yet, but researchers have several main theories to contribute in its brief-

1. Genetics: Studies have shown that those who have biological parents or siblings with OCD are at a higher risk to develop this condition.
2. Brain Changes: Differences in frontal cortex and subcortical structures of the brain generally have OCD. 
3. Childhood Trauma: Some studies say it may be childhood trauma of abuse and negligence.

Risk Factors of OCD

1. Family History: Having the same problem in any family member with this disorder can risk you of getting OCD.
2. Stressful Life Events: If you ever gone through traumatic or stressful situations the risk is high.
3. Other Mental Health Disorder: May be related to other mental disorders like anxiety, depression, or substance abuse.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Treatment?

Firstly you should connect to your health care provider about the symptoms. It’s important to know what is the cause of symptoms. Then after getting the cause you can start an Obsessive Compulsive Test.

Note that Obsessive Compulsive disorder can sometimes be hard to diagnose; it feels like other mental disorders like anxiety or depression disorder. It is also possible to have OCD with any other mental disorder and it's hard to analyze then.

OCD Treatment involves psychotherapy and some medications as well. A mental health professional will decide which treatment option should best for you and explain the risk as well. Following the treatment without cheating on it is necessary because psychotherapy and medications may take some time to work.

OCD Psychotherapy

This is an effective treatment for adults and children suffering from OCD. These Therapies are effective when combined with medications:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): It’s a type of talking therapy in which people easily view and respond to challenging situations that happen generally around them.CBT helps people learn to question negative thoughts occurring in their minds. CBT works best when customized to treat the unique characteristics of specific mental disorders, including OCD.
• Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP): Research shows that ERP, its a specific type of CBT, reduces compulsive behavior and helps people who do not respond well to medication. In this people used to spend time in safe surroundings and health providers create a situation that triggers their obsession and helps prevent them from that compulsive behavior.

OCD Medication

Health care providers may suggest medicine for the treatment of OCD. The most common medicines are antidepressants for serotonin, a chemical transmitter in the brain involved in depression and OCD.

Frequently Asked Questions About OCD

How to Tell if Someone Has OCD?

Signs of OCD include unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) the affected person feels to perform. These behaviours interfere with daily life and cause significant anxiety.

What Is an OCD Person Like?

Someone with OCD experiences a thought and engages in some actions to reduce anxiety. They may know their actions are not normal but there is no control. Their daily life is often impacted by these behaviors.

Is It OCD or Anxiety?

OCD is a kind of anxiety disorder. Generally anxiety involves constant tension whereas OCD purposely includes obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors to reduce anxiety.