Derived from its name, individuals with OCD are mainly defined as having:
Obsessions: repetitive and persistent thoughts, images, or urges that are intrusive and unwanted, causing distress and anxiety. For example: having an excessive fear of getting contaminated by germs
Compulsions: repetitive behaviors or mental acts that usually follow an obsession. It’s described as an internal drive to respond to that obsessive thought and a need to act accordingly. For example: washing your hands until they are sore, red, and chapped because of your initial fear of getting contaminated. Compulsions offer temporary relief from anxiety, but are not healthy
Symptoms
- Obsession Symptoms (often have themes to them)
- Fear of contamination- virus, dirt, pollution or objects others have touched before
- Doubts that you forgot to do something-turn off the stove, lock the door. Difficulty in tolerating uncertainty
- Intense need to have everything in an orderly or symmetrical fashion- objects facing the same way, ordered in the same color/ category/shape/size.
- Horrific thoughts about harming oneself or others or about losing control- acting inappropriately in public
- Avoiding situations that can trigger obsessions by using distracting behavior such as shaking hands.
- Compulsion symptoms (often have themes to them)
- Washing hands or cleaning excessively due to fear of contamination
- Checking if everything is locked or turned off due to fear of uncertainty
- Counting or orderliness symptoms
- Abiding by a strict routine and demanding reassurance
Prevalence
According to the DSM-5, individuals with OCD are estimated to be around 1.5% of the population, affecting more men in childhood and women in adulthood- gradual onset.
Prognosis
The onset of OCD symptoms can begin as early as childhood stages and later on develop into a diagnosis of OCD. If caught early on, it can prevent various of consequences. Nonetheless, treatment of OCD is manageable through psychotherapy and there are reports of significant clinical improvements. If chronic, it’s harder to see massive improvements, but it’s still doable.
When to seek help
We encourage you to seek help as soon as you suspect that you, or someone you know have similar symptoms of OCD. The sooner we understand the nature of these symptoms, the better it’ll be in managing them and reduce the impact it might have later on. If you already know someone with OCD, we recommend professional treatment with a mental health provider. They can help create a better, livable, constructive lives and manage symptoms accordingly. Lastly, we know that sometimes people tend to read symptoms associated with a certain disorder and claim that “I do that, I have this etc.”. When this happens, just remember that although we may share similar features with the symptoms listed, they have to be recurrent, persistent, and affect everyday job tasks greatly to be diagnosed as a disorder. They are rare and chronic, but help is always reachable and effective.
Treatment
Although there isn’t a specific cure for obsessive-compulsive disorders, some approaches can be used to reduce or manage the symptoms related to OCD.
Psychotherapy is one of the treatment options for people with OCD where it involves changing thinking and behavioral patterns to more constructive ones. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, also known as CBT is a technique used that can help manage obsession or fearful thoughts before it’s acted upon in compulsion forms. Exposure and response prevention is another psychotherapy technique where people with OCD are put in stressful situations that evoke obsessions or compulsions and will be taught to use proper relaxation techniques to reduce any anxiety or distress caused. This happens by exposing clients to least stressful situations then moving on to more difficult ones until they reach the most stressful situation which by then, clients will be able to create more positive, effective ways to deal with their obsessions and compulsions.
Medications are another treatment option for people with OCD. Psychiatrists may prescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, also known as (SSRIs) to reduce the severity or frequency of their OCD symptoms.
