OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by unreasonable thoughts and
fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors
(compulsions).
With obsessive-compulsive disorder, you may realize that your obsessions aren't reasonable, and you may try to ignore them or stop them. But that only increases your distress and anxiety. Ultimately, you feel driven to perform compulsive acts in an effort to ease your stressful feelings.
Most common Obsessions often have themes to them, such as:
1. Fear of contamination or dirt
2. Having things orderly and symmetrical
3. Aggressive or horrific impulses
4. Sexual images or thoughts
5. Fear of falling ill.
Obsession symptoms include one or more of the following:-
1. Fear of being contaminated by shaking hands or by touching objects others have touched
2. Doubts that you've locked the door or turned off the stove
3. Thoughts that you've hurt someone in a traffic accident
4. Intense stress when objects aren't orderly or facing the right way
5. Images of hurting your loved one/child
6. Impulses to shout obscenities in inappropriate situations or impulsive anger to fight.
7. Avoidance of situations that can trigger obsessions, such as shaking hands
8. Replaying pornographic images in your mind
9. Dermatitis because of frequent hand washing
10. Skin lesions because of picking at your skin
11. Hair loss or bald spots because of hair pulling
Compulsions
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that you feel driven to perform. These repetitive behaviors are meant to prevent or reduce anxiety related to your obsessions.
You may also make up rules or rituals to follow that help control the anxiety you feel when having obsessive thoughts.
Compulsions typically have themes, such as:
1. Washing and cleaning
2. Counting
3. Checking
4. Demanding reassurances
5. Performing the same action repeatedly
6. Excessive Orderliness
Compulsion symptoms may include one or more of the following -
1. Hand washing until your skin becomes raw
2. Checking doors repeatedly to make sure they're locked
3. Checking the stove repeatedly to make sure it's off
4. Counting in certain patterns
5. Arranging your goods to face the same way
Factors that may increase the risk of developing or triggering obsessive-compulsive disorder include:
Symptoms usually begin gradually and tend to vary in severity throughout your life. Symptoms generally worsen during times when you're experiencing more stress.
1. Family history. Having parents or other family members with the disorder can increase your risk of developing OCD.
2. Stressful life events. If you tend to react strongly to stress, your risk may increase. This reaction may, for some reason, trigger the intrusive thoughts, rituals and emotional distress characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Complications that obsessive-compulsive disorder may cause or be associated with include -
1. Suicidal thoughts and behavior
2. Alcohol or substance abuse
3. anxiety disorders
4. Depression
4. Eating disorders
5. Contact dermatitis from frequent hand washing
6. Inability to attend work or school
7. Troubled relationships
8. Overall poor quality of life
Since most people never get treatment or therapy for OCD it becomes a lifelong illness...
Many a times the individual takes so much time to reach the psychiatrist.. that the fear and anxiety is so high that treatment and therapy only help decrease the OCD not eliminate it.
Treatment is required as soon as possible.
For further assistance on this topic, you can CONTACT ME (all conversations are kept CONFIDENTIAL) -
Dr.Hemant Mittal
(Neuro-Psychiatrist, Mental Health and Sexual Health Healer,
Motivational Writer/Speaker and Counselor)
by-
email - eksoch@gmail.com
website - http://mindmantra.in/
or visit my wellness clinic @-
address- 15, shreeji plaza, next to ice n spice restaurant, opposite seawoods station, seawoods (east)
Navi Mumbai
With obsessive-compulsive disorder, you may realize that your obsessions aren't reasonable, and you may try to ignore them or stop them. But that only increases your distress and anxiety. Ultimately, you feel driven to perform compulsive acts in an effort to ease your stressful feelings.
Most common Obsessions often have themes to them, such as:
1. Fear of contamination or dirt
2. Having things orderly and symmetrical
3. Aggressive or horrific impulses
4. Sexual images or thoughts
5. Fear of falling ill.
Obsession symptoms include one or more of the following:-
1. Fear of being contaminated by shaking hands or by touching objects others have touched
2. Doubts that you've locked the door or turned off the stove
3. Thoughts that you've hurt someone in a traffic accident
4. Intense stress when objects aren't orderly or facing the right way
5. Images of hurting your loved one/child
6. Impulses to shout obscenities in inappropriate situations or impulsive anger to fight.
7. Avoidance of situations that can trigger obsessions, such as shaking hands
8. Replaying pornographic images in your mind
9. Dermatitis because of frequent hand washing
10. Skin lesions because of picking at your skin
11. Hair loss or bald spots because of hair pulling
Compulsions
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that you feel driven to perform. These repetitive behaviors are meant to prevent or reduce anxiety related to your obsessions.
You may also make up rules or rituals to follow that help control the anxiety you feel when having obsessive thoughts.
Compulsions typically have themes, such as:
1. Washing and cleaning
2. Counting
3. Checking
4. Demanding reassurances
5. Performing the same action repeatedly
6. Excessive Orderliness
Compulsion symptoms may include one or more of the following -
1. Hand washing until your skin becomes raw
2. Checking doors repeatedly to make sure they're locked
3. Checking the stove repeatedly to make sure it's off
4. Counting in certain patterns
5. Arranging your goods to face the same way
Factors that may increase the risk of developing or triggering obsessive-compulsive disorder include:
Symptoms usually begin gradually and tend to vary in severity throughout your life. Symptoms generally worsen during times when you're experiencing more stress.
1. Family history. Having parents or other family members with the disorder can increase your risk of developing OCD.
2. Stressful life events. If you tend to react strongly to stress, your risk may increase. This reaction may, for some reason, trigger the intrusive thoughts, rituals and emotional distress characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Complications that obsessive-compulsive disorder may cause or be associated with include -
1. Suicidal thoughts and behavior
2. Alcohol or substance abuse
3. anxiety disorders
4. Depression
4. Eating disorders
5. Contact dermatitis from frequent hand washing
6. Inability to attend work or school
7. Troubled relationships
8. Overall poor quality of life
Since most people never get treatment or therapy for OCD it becomes a lifelong illness...
Many a times the individual takes so much time to reach the psychiatrist.. that the fear and anxiety is so high that treatment and therapy only help decrease the OCD not eliminate it.
Treatment is required as soon as possible.
For further assistance on this topic, you can CONTACT ME (all conversations are kept CONFIDENTIAL) -
Dr.Hemant Mittal
(Neuro-Psychiatrist, Mental Health and Sexual Health Healer,
Motivational Writer/Speaker and Counselor)
by-
email - eksoch@gmail.com
website - http://mindmantra.in/
or visit my wellness clinic @-
address- 15, shreeji plaza, next to ice n spice restaurant, opposite seawoods station, seawoods (east)
Navi Mumbai
