What is OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a prevalent mental health problem characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.
An obsession is a disturbing and unpleasant idea, picture, or impulse that enters your mind regularly, creating emotions of worry, revulsion, or uneasiness.
A compulsion is a recurring behavior or mental act that you believe you must perform to momentarily alleviate the unpleasant sensations caused by obsessive thinking.
OCD could affect men, women, and children. Sometimes individuals have symptoms as early as adolescence, although it is more common in the early twenties.
OCD may be upsetting and seriously interfere with your life, but therapy can help to control and manage it.
Signs and Symptoms of OCD
What are the signs to look out for in OCD? It is important to notice particular obsessions and compulsions that a person might exhibit. Following are some common obsessions and compulsions of people struggling with OCD.
Obsessions
- Concern about being polluted by other people or the environment
- Sexually disturbing ideas or images
- Fear of uttering profanity or insults
- Concern for order, symmetry, or accuracy to an extreme.
- Recurrent thoughts about sounds, pictures, phrases, or numbers
- Fear of misplacing or abandoning something valuable
Compulsions
- Repetitive Hand washing, bathing, brushing teeth, or personal care
- Repetitive cleaning of home items
- Organizing or rearranging items in a specific order
- Examining locks, switches, or appliances regularly
- Always looking for acceptance or reassurance
- Counting to a specific number repeatedly
Causes of OCD
It is unknown what generates OCD. Several other causes might be at work, such as:
- Family history – if a member of the family has OCD, you are more likely to get it, probably due to your genes.
- Brain anomalies – Some persons with OCD have abnormally high functioning in their brains or low quantities of a neurotransmitter called serotonin.
- OCD may be more likely among persons who have been bullied, mistreated, or neglected, and it might begin after a significant life event, such as delivery or a loss.
- Personality – tidy, thorough, methodical persons with high personal standards, as well as those who are normally extremely worried or have a strong sense of obligation for both themselves and everyone else, are more prone to acquire OCD.
How to Treat OCD?
Certain OCD therapies can help you decrease the impact it has on your life.
- Psychological therapy – typically cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which enables you to confront your anxieties and obsessive thoughts without “having to put them right” via compulsions
- Pharmaceutics – typically a type of antidepressant medication known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), that can assist by changing the equilibrium of chemicals within your brain
CBT often has an immediate effect. It may take many months to detect the results of SSRI medication, but most patients will ultimately benefit.
If these therapies are ineffective, a different SSRI or mix of an SSRI and CBT is helpful. Psychiatric Evaluation may also be required.
