Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: How do you know if you have one?
Repeatedly doing something even though your mind tells you to stop could be a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Constantly washing hands could be a type of OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD is a common psychiatric condition seen in 2-3% of the general population. It affects adults of both sexes equally and is more common in people with higher intelligence and socio-economic status.Depression is commonly in cases of OCD.
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What are obsessions"color:#333333;">Compulsions refer to behaviours that occur to relieve or neutralise the anxiety accompanying obsessions. They give the person a sense of relief and have to be done as frequently as the obsessions occur. For e.g. washing hands, checking the house repeatedly before going out or mental acts like repeatedly counting or praying. These actions are done to reduce distress or prevent some untoward event from occurring due to the BAD thoughts that the person is having.
Common Obsessions
Contamination obsessions, e.g.repeatedly feeling ‘my hands are not clean’, ‘the floor is always dirty’,'I am dirty because i went out’, etc..
Pathological doubts, e.g, repeatedly thinking ‘my car/bike is not locked’, ‘doors are probably not locked’, ‘is the gas on?’, etc.
Symmetry e.g., need to do things in a particular way and order leading to slowness in tasks.
Sexual obsessions e.g. fantasizing about indulging in physical relationships with various people, fantasing about looking at or touching a particular body part of another person.
Abusive thoughts and obsessions. e.g. about god, about other family members and elders,etc.
Not being able to let go of old, useless things thinking they might be important. e.g. repeatedly being unable to throw or give away old clothes, books, papers, etc.
Common compulsions
The Washers: Repeated hand washing, repeated bathing, repeatedly cleaning and washing the house.
The Checkers: Repeatedly checking locks, doors and gas knobs.
The Hoarders: Repeatedly piling up old stuff.
Over-religious behaviours like performing rituals and pujas because they think of abusive words for gods or elders, etc.
Repeating rituals, e.g. , going in and out of door, up and down from a chair, etc.
Treatment of OCD
When these symptoms start affecting the normal daily functioning of a person, it is time to seek treatment. Behaviour therapy is the most useful method of treatment. It includes relaxation, thought stop techniques and various other techniques. For instance, as part of though-stop techniques, the patient is taught to imagine a STOP sign or signal as soon as obsessive thoughts start to seep in.
Drug therapy is also recommended in severe cases and associated depression, most commonly tranquillizers and anti-depressants. In long standing and severe cases, electro – convulsive therapy and brain surgery has also been found successful. Educating the family and family therapy is also useful.
Written by Dr Nisreen Nakhoda, General Physician
Reviewed by Dr Abha Bang, Psychiatrist
Photograph by William Stadler, via sxc.hu
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