06 Dec Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Comprehensive Overview
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a relatively common diagnosis. Some people feel like they know at least a little about it, even if they’ve never personally known anyone who has it. However, there are just as many falsehoods that are generally understood about this condition as there are legitimate medical facts to which the public has access.
Counseling is available for anyone who has received this diagnosis. However, in some instances, their family members may also want to speak to someone. It can be frustrating to have a person in your family with OCD unless you understand the condition and what it entails.
In this article, we’ll break down what it means to have OCD. It’s something you should know about whether you’ve received this diagnosis or you know someone in your life who has.
What Exactly is OCD?
To put it simply, OCD is a condition where an individual has repetitive thoughts or engages in repetitive behaviors that are unwanted or objectionable. Such a person will feel that they can’t control these thoughts, actions, or emotions, or else that they can control them, but only with great concentration.
Generally, OCD is not considered to be a dangerous condition for either the person who has it or anyone close to them. It’s not the same as something like schizophrenia, where, if left untreated, the individual who has it might harm themselves or others.
Someone with OCD might be unhappy, though, and that’s the main problem usually associated with the condition. If left untreated, the individual who’s dealing with it might resort to extreme measures to try and curb the unwanted, intrusive thoughts that keep entering their head.
What Causes OCD?
It’s not clear what causes OCD. The medical community has not identified one definitive factor. However, that being said, there seems to be a genetic proclivity that frequently comes into play. If someone in your close family has it, then it’s much more likely one will develop it as well.
Analysis of the brains of individuals who have it also seems to show subtle differences in their cerebral cortexes. This is the area that controls behavior and emotions. Some individuals who have it also experience low serotonin levels, which can contribute to feeling low or emotionally down when in the grips of an episode.
The Interplay Between Obsession and Compulsion
There’s a pattern of thought and behavior that is often followed by someone who has OCD. It normally starts with the obsession aspect of the condition.
This is where the individual becomes fixated on a particular thought or idea. Usually, it is not a logical one.
For instance, a mother with OCD might become convinced that if their child leaves the house for any reason, they will die. The mother might be perfectly rational and intelligent. In the reasoning part of their brain, they may understand that there’s no reason to think this or to believe it to be true.
However, it can be incredibly difficult or even impossible for a person with this condition to eradicate or banish this unwanted thought. This leads to compulsion.
In this context, compulsion refers to activity the person engages in to quell the intrusive thought on which they are fixated. That activity can take many forms.
For instance, a person with OCD might engage in counting objects. That might make them feel like the dreaded event on which they are fixated is less likely. They may wash their hands over and over or check on the location of an object or objects within their house.
What Can You Do if You Have OCD?
Much like other kinds of mania, the symptoms of OCD are rarely consistent in terms of how often they occur or the severity of each episode. Usually, the feelings that lead to obsession and compulsion will ebb and flow.
If you have OCD, though, and it is becoming problematic, you can usually treat it through a combination of prescription drugs and psychotherapy. The outlook is usually better if you try to seek treatment earlier in life rather than later.
The medication can quiet your mind, but the therapy can as well. If you talk to a licensed therapist about what’s in your head and the techniques you’ve been using to deal with it, if those haven’t been working for you, the therapist might suggest alternatives.
Those might include meditation, breathing exercises, or playing with devices like fidget spinners. You may not ever be able to completely banish intrusive thoughts, but you can often learn ways to control them a lot better.
Having OCD Isn’t Something That Has to Control Your Life
Usually, the people who really struggle with OCD are the ones who refuse to get help for it. You can say that for just about any potentially harmful medical condition.
If you refuse treatment, though, you are probably only making your life more difficult, not to mention the lives of people who know you. If you’re fixated on an idea and being manic about it, you won’t be an easy person to live with. Your family members might demand that you seek treatment if they’re not able to deal with you when you get into one of these mindsets.
It’s the same with people who work with you. This kind of behavior can hurt your professional career if you are letting your obsessions and compulsions adversely affect the quality of your performance.
You can say the same thing about being in a relationship as well. While individuals who have OCD can often be in healthy relationships with a partner or spouse, you are not doing yourself any favors if you let these manic episodes get out of control.
The sooner you look at some options if your OCD is becoming an issue, the better it will probably be for you and everyone who knows you. If you are willing to tackle the problem with a positive mindset, it’s highly likely you will find a method that successfully gets it under control.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol conditions, visit FindSupport.gov. If you are ready to locate a treatment facility or provider, you can go directly to FindTreatment.gov or call 800-662-HELP (4357).
————–
The information on MedicalResearch.com is provided for educational purposes only, and is in no way intended to diagnose, cure, or treat any medical or other condition.
Some links are sponsored. Products, services and providers are not tested, warranted or endorsed.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health and ask your doctor any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. In addition to all other limitations and disclaimers in this agreement, service provider and its third party providers disclaim any liability or loss in connection with the content provided on this website.
Last Updated on December 6, 2024 by Marie Benz MD FAAD