Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
by James Cowart, Ph.D.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder. While the symptoms from one sufferer to another have basic similarities, the particular obsessions and compulsions that occur in one person may be very different from another person's obsessions and compulsions. About 2-3% of the adult population will experience OCD at some time. The disorder also strikes children. There is a strong genetic or biologic contribution to the development of OCD.
Obsessions involve unwanted thoughts that pop into mind. The thoughts are often disturbing and frightening. The more the person struggles to stop the thoughts the more frequent they become. The disturbing thoughts may involve harm coming to oneself or someone else because of the sufferer's accidental or purposeful action. For example, "If I don't check the locks over and over someone will surely break in and kill my family." Another typical thought may be: "the doorknob is contaminated and if I touch it I will be contaminated." Other types of thoughts may involve a vague thought such as: "something just feels very wrong" when things are slightly out of order or not symmetrical.
Following the obsessive thought and the anxious feeling, the person often engages in a repetitive, ritualistic behavior that is called the compulsion.
The compulsion temporarily reduces the unpleasant anxiety that was triggered by the obsession. Unfortunately, the next time the obsession is triggered the compulsion may be even more extensive and time consuming. The person suffering with OCD also may avoid many situations because the situations may have triggered the obsession in the past.
Sometimes OCD can be very disruptive to the sufferer's life. For example, in some particularly severe cases individuals with a contamination obsession may spend hours washing their hands each day and may avoid going places because of a fear of contamination. At times the person with OCD may try and get family members to help in checking or cleaning. Other times the person with OCD may repetitively ask others for reassurance. These patterns can have a negative impact on the whole family.
There are treatments that are often successful. Several different medications have been shown to be quite helpful. A type of behavior therapy called exposure and response prevention has been shown to be very helpful as well. Those who experience symptoms that may be a part of OCD should be evaluated by a mental health professional to see if they might need treatment.