OVERVIEW:-
Ohh! She's very particular in doing every task, she's so OCD!, He's so concerned about cleaning, order, and symmetry he's so OCD!, She does every task in a particular manner and is sort of "perfectionist" in her work she's so OCD! He arranges his clothes in a proper sequence, he's so OCD!, I am indulged in cleaning stuff too much I am so OCD!.
These are the common sayings of the people becoming popular on social media. How easily we label our simple act as a serious medical condition called OCD without knowing this condition properly. Nowadays, it is used as an adjective to show cleanliness, order, symmetry, and perfectionism.
But guys let me tell you it's not like that. OCD is much more than what we think. I know this disorder very closely and can tell you it is no less than a psychotic problem like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc.
It is the most confusing mental disorder among all the disorders especially because of the fact that it is hard to identify what is OCD and what is a normal act. There are a lot of misconceptions regarding OCD in society, but after reading this article you will surely know how bad OCD is.
So let's go straight into the topic!
WHAT IS OCD?
OCD is a serious mental disorder classified under anxiety disorders. Talking about India, "The lifetime prevalence of OCD in the general population is 2-3%, that means 2-3 persons in every hundred persons have OCD in their lifetime. It affects men and women equally".National Health Portal of India
As the name suggests, it consists of two main points - OBSESSIONS & COMPULSIONS.
Obsessions are recurrent, persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that cause anxiety or distress. The main distinction between a normal thought and an obsessive thought is its repetitive nature. It keeps repeating again and again in the person's mind no matter how much he/she tries to control it. Verywell mind
Compulsions or compulsive acts can be defined as repetitious, purposeful physical or mental actions that the individual feels compelled to engage in according to their own strict rules or in a stereotyped manner. OCD UK
So these are the exact medical meanings of these words, but I explain you this in simple language by using an example:-
In the case of an OCD sufferer, he first gets a thought which is repetitive in nature and is anxiety provoking. These thoughts are termed as obsessions. To reduce this anxiety, the acts or behavior done which may vary from person to person are termed as compulsions.
SYMPTOMS OF OCD:-
Contamination Obsessions With Washing/Cleaning Compulsion:-
This subtype includes compulsions like cleaning/washing.Eg. Washing hands repetitively, cleaning house excessively, Cleaning own's body excessively, etc. In this subtype, the sufferer may always feel that he/she has not yet washed his/her hands thoroughly enough.
- Harm Obsessions With Checking Compulsions:-
If you experience this symptom subtype, you will often have intense thoughts related to possible harm to yourself or others. You use checking rituals to relieve your distress.For eg. repetitively checking on your mother or wife that they are safe or not. A sufferer may have a thought that he could harm his loved ones although he knows that he can't do it as they love them so much.
- Obsessions Without Visible Compulsions:-
This symptom subtype often relates to unwanted obsessions surrounding sexual, religious, or aggressive themes. For eg., You may get a thought that you can molest someone or attack someone.
- Symmetry Obsessions With Ordering, Arranging, and Counting Compulsions:-
In this subtype, a sufferer feels a strong need to arrange and rearrange objects until they are "just right." For example, you might feel the need to constantly arrange your shirts so that they are ordered precisely by color.
The sufferer may superstitiously count numbers to avoid any potential danger. It also involves thinking or saying sentences or words over and over again until the task is accomplished perfectly.
- Hoarding:-
Hoarding involves the collection of items that are judged to be of limited value by others, such as old newspapers, clothes, receipts, junk mail, notes, or containers. Often your living space becomes so consumed with clutter that it becomes impossible to live in.
This is a very rare symptom found in few OCD patients. In this case, the sufferer feels that he might need these things in the future so he collects them to an extent where his house turns to be a dumping ground.
So these were the subtypes of symptoms of OCD but the common denominator in all of the above subtypes is:- Repetition, May feel something is not organized/imperfect/something bad will happen if I do not do this compulsive behavior. If these symptoms are found in you and you are spending more than 1 hour per day or if it causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, then you are possibly suffering from OCD.
WHAT CAUSES OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER?
Well, there are many theories as to what causes OCD given by various eminent professional experts and they are as follows:-
- Biological factors
- Genetic factors(may inherit from parents)
- Chemical imbalance-This theory suggests that OCD is caused due to an insufficient amount of neurotransmitter called serotonin in the brain. To correct this and balance this chemical, SSRI's(Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) are used by the psychiatrists and are are prescribed to the patients.
- Other Psychological theories
To read these causes in detail in the exact medical language you can visit OCD UK. Here you will find these causes explained in detail by professional experts.
So that's enough for one blog post. It's already been too long. Next, I will be covering treatment options, OCD V/S OCPD, OCD, AND BIPOLAR DISORDER, etc. OCD being of complicated nature consists of various contents and I will be covering each of them in my upcoming posts. So stay connected.
Share, like, and do comment in the comment section if you have any queries.
NOTE:-
Please be aware that I am neither a clinical psychologist nor a psychiatrist, but a person who has closely observed this disorder and have depth knowledge about this condition. I am decoding the scientific language written in various books and compiling it for you. This blogpost is meant for gaining information and not meant for any diagnosis. For diagnosis, refer to your local nearby psychiatrist. After reading my articles you don't have to read those scientific and exhaustive books and articles.
