What is OCD?

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a debilitating mental health condition in which patients suffer from obsessions that lead them to worry, and complusions that can invade every aspect of their lives. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a type of anxiety disorder but it is important to distinguish OCD from other types of anxiety, including the routine tension and stress that appear throughout life.

It is proven that in many cases the sufferers are of above-average intelligence. This is because the very nature of the disorder necessitates complicated thinking patterns. Children and adolescents often feel shame and embarrassment about their OCD. Many fear that their symptoms mean they're crazy and are hesitant to talk about their thoughts and behaviors. 

What exactly are obsessions and compulsions?

 
Obsessions are defined by:

• Recurrent and persistent thoughts that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress
• Thoughts which are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems

The person suffering from OCD attempts to ignore such thoughts or to neutralize them with some other thought or action and recognizes that the obsessional thoughts are a product of his or her own mind.

With OCD, someone may have obsessions about:

• germs or dirt
• illness or injury  
• coming across unlucky numbers
• things being even or straight
• things being perfect or just right in a certain way
• making mistakes or not being sure
• doing or thinking something bad

Compulsions are defined by:

• repetitive behaviors that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession
• the behaviors or mental acts which are targeted at preventing distress or some dreaded event or situation
• behaviors or mental acts which are not connected in a realistic way

Examples of some common OCD compulsions:

• lots of hand washing or showering  
• counting  
• touching objects
• checking things over and over  
• doing things a certain number of times  
• arranging things in a very particular or neat way
• asking the same question over and over
• tying and retying shoes over and over until they feel just right