OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER
“Sharon” leaves her house locking the door and is making her way to the car when that niggling thought comes. Did she or didn’t she turn the curling iron off? She tells herself she probably did and tries to proceed to the car. All the while the thoughts rushing through her brain cause that old familiar anxiety to rise up within her chest. She tries to reason with herself that she did turn it off but thinks, “What if I didn’t and the house catches on fire?” Her brain fights back and forth as to whether she did or didn’t. She even knows that she is being irrational but in the end she knows she will unlock that door, go back into the house and check to make sure she shut the curling iron off.
So what’s the problem? Most people would think it is a good thing to make sure you don’t leave appliances on when you leave your house. The problem is she has already checked it a couple of times and when she tries to leave the house the thought will come again that maybe she didn’t check it just right and it is still turned on. This scenario with different props plays out over and over again on a daily basis. It could be the curling iron, stove, coffee pot, etc.
Welcome to the world of someone who has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD)
OCD is a type of an anxiety disorder in which someone is constantly troubled with recurring, irrational and unwanted thoughts or images (obsessions) that they can’t get out of their heads,
often compelling them to perform rituals (compulsions) to prevent or get rid of the obsessions
thereby trying to ease their anxiety.
OBSESSIONS
Some common obsessions are becoming contaminated, harming themselves or others, going against some social or religious taboo such as making inappropriate sexual advances in public
or offending God. They may be preoccupied with order and symmetry.
COMPULSIONS
Cleaning – Repeatedly washing hands, excessive showering or cleaning household items
or other objects because of the fear of real or imagined germs, dirt or substance that
will “contaminate” them
Checking – To alleviate the fear of harming oneself or others, some will develop checking rituals
such as checking to make sure doors are locked, stove is turned off or to repeatedly
retrace driving routes to be sure they haven’t hit anyone.
Perfectionism – Arranging objects such as books or household items in a certain way until it
“feels right” wanting items to be in a symmetric fashion.
Repeating – Saying a name or phrase over and over, repeating routine actions such as going
in or out doors, performing actions in multiples, examples: doing a task three times
because three is a “safe,” “right,” “perfect” number.
OCD comes in thousands of forms as unique as each individual. Afflicting some 2.2
million Americans, OCD is equally common in men and women and knows no geographic,
ethnic or economic boundaries. It often presents itself in childhood, adolescence or early
adulthood. Although most adults with OCD recognize that what they are doing is senseless,
some adults and most children may not realize that their behavior is out of the ordinary.
In the case of “Sharon” mentioned above, she exhibited classic symptoms of OCD as a child, however, she had no idea that her thoughts were not normal. It was very normal in her mind to make sure she was the last one out of the house so she could check all the faucets to make sure they weren’t dripping. Usually every night she would check the door latches in the house to make sure they were truly closed even getting out of bed after everyone else was in bed because she could not go to sleep until she had reassured herself these things had been taken care of. She would stand at the sinks or the doors and check them at least five or six times. Unfortunately for her it wasn’t until she was an adult and had grown up suffering with many different obsessions and compulsions that she happened to read an article that suggested to her that maybe her behaviors were due to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
TREATMENT
OCD is generally treated with psychotherapy, medication, or both. A type of psychotherapy called Cognitive Behavior Therapy is especially useful for treating OCD. It teaches a person
different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to situations that help him or her feel less anxious or fearful without having obsessive thoughts or acting compulsively.
Some people are embarrassed or shameful that they have these behaviors they don’t want or understand. That is unfortunate because it could keep them from seeking help. Talking with a therapist they will find that what they have is real and treatable. Some times just knowing that can bring a form of relief. The earlier you seek treatment for OCD the better. Early treatment cannot only reduce symptoms but successful treatment can improve your ability to attend school, work, develop and enjoy relationships and pursue leisure activities leading to a better quality of life.
If you find that you are struggling with OCD and would like to learn ways of dealing with it please call for an appointment at (616) 516-1570.
