Have you ever wanted to wash your hands repeatedly after touching anything because you think you might have germs? Do you think if you do not arrange your pencils in a straight line something bad will happen? Do you always think you never locked the car door even if you did and rechecked twice? Are you always thinking about whether you turned off the stove or not? Do you thoroughly clean your house after every minor inconvenience and that too perfectly? Well people think of this as normal but that might not be the case always, it can also be a symptom of OCD or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Surely many of us are germ conscious and many of us like things to be perfectly arranged but that doesn’t mean all of us have OCD. It can be identified as a disorder when it starts disrupting daily life. But you don’t have to worry because if that’s the case then you are on the right path. We are here to help and provide you with proper guidance and treatment.

 

Understanding OCD: What is it?

So what is OCD exactly? OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. OCD is a condition in which a person experiences continuous unwanted thoughts and urges. To suppress those thoughts he/she performs repetitive behaviors. An individual has OCD if there is a presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both of them. To deal with the stress caused by the thoughts, a person performs different types of actions. These actions result in dealing with the thoughts for the time being but become a habit later eventually leading to a disorder.

 

Obsessions

Obsessions are the unwanted continuous thoughts and urges that cause a person anxiety or stress. For example thinking something bad will happen or wanting symmetry in everything.

 

Compulsions

To neutralize or suppress the urges, a person performs repetitive behaviors, which are called compulsions. These include rechecking the door or arranging things symmetrically.

 

OCD Symptoms

Not all people experience the same type of symptoms while having OCD, they might differ from individual to individual. However, some thoughts or behavior might be similar, these include:

 

• Obsession with Contamination

This includes worrying excessively about germs or dirt. The fear of getting germs or getting ill. This includes washing hands more than usual, avoiding public places, excessive use of sanitizer etc.

 

• Fear of Harm

Individuals with constant fear of them or any other person getting hurt or harm. This includes compulsions like checking the door, checking stove, or checking appliances making sure they are turned off, etc.

 

• Symmetry

People who like everything in an arranged and ordered manner such as pencils should be aligned with each other perfectly or the books in a rack should be arranged height wise, etc.

 

• Intrusive Thoughts

These can include violent, aggressive thoughts as well as sexual ideas that are disturbing.

 

• Seeking Reassurance

Seeking reassurance from peers, family or someone they think of better than them. For example in case of religious context seeking reassurance from religious leaders if you are doing everything right.

 

Difference Between Normal and OCD symptoms

Almost everyone experiences occasional intrusive thoughts or engage in certain behaviors but it’s not always harmful. For example, it’s normal to check whether you locked the door when leaving home or washing hands after playing in the playground. However it gets concerning when:

• The obsessions and compulsions start interfering with daily life.
• The thoughts and urges cause significant distress or impairment.
• The individual is unable to control their behavior or thoughts.

 

Diagnosing OCD in adults

According to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-5-TR), the criteria for diagnosing OCD is:

• There must be the presence of obsessions (unwanted distressing thoughts) or compulsions (repetitive behavior to neutralize distressing thought) , or both of them.
• If the obsessions or compulsions take more than 1 hour of the day, then the person is said to have OCD. For example, if you spend half of the day washing your hands you might have OCD.
• The obsessions or compulsions are causing distress or impairment in functioning.

 

Diagnosing OCD in Children

An adult can identify the reasons for his actions or thoughts maybe. However, a child may not be able to identify the purpose behind the thoughts, actions, or behaviors. This might make it difficult to diagnose OCD in children.

 

How Does OCD Affect Daily Life?

OCD can affect daily life including work, education, or even interpersonal relationships whether it’s family or friends. The compulsions have a time-consuming nature which interferes with responsibilities of daily life eventually causing harm to functioning and relationships.

 

Myths about OCD

There are some common myths about OCD that you have to stop believing. The most major one is that it only includes people who like things to be arranged or who wash their hands repetitively. However, actual OCD patients have serious issues such as fear of contamination, harm, or even deadly violent thoughts. It doesn’t stop there, it can also be in religious or spiritual contexts such as getting reassurance from different religious leaders, praying repetitively to make sure they are praying correctly, excessive repentance of sins, doubting, etc.

 

Importance of Seeking Professional Help

If a person with OCD is left untreated, his/her symptoms can worsen over time resulting in severe effects on functioning. There is a need to consult a mental health professional (therapist) so that they can perform proper therapy to reduce the symptoms and the individual can live their life as a normal person.

 

Mind Canvas: Providing the Right Mental Health Professional

Mind Canvas is a platform that helps you find a mental health professional who is effective in that specific domain and can provide you with the best results. We protect our client’s confidentiality and autonomy. Everything done in the therapeutic session is already consented by the client beforehand. We have professionals who have a history of treating clients with OCD and now those clients are living their life just like ordinary people. Their therapeutic techniques are different for every individual even for those who have similar symptoms because every individual is different and unique in their way.

 

Supporting Someone with OCD

Supporting someone with OCD, whether it’s a friend or family member, can be challenging but it can be very meaningful for the person going through it. You should be patient, understanding, and non-judgmental with them. In a world where you can be anything, BE KIND!