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OCD The Facts about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
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The Facts about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
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OCD is a real illness that can be treated with medicine and therapy. When you have OCD, you have recurring, upsetting thoughts (called obsessions). You repeat doing the same thing, over and over again (called compulsions) to make the thoughts go away. And, you feel like you can't control or stop these thoughts or actions. The obsessions, or upsetting thoughts, can include things like a fear of germs, a fear of being hurt, a fear of hurting others, and disturbing religious or sexual thoughts. The compulsions, or actions you repeat to make the thoughts go away, can be things like counting, cleaning, hand washing, and checking on things. While these actions provide only short-lived relief, not doing them only increases anxiety.

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Many people who have OCD know that their actions often don't make sense. They may try to hide their problem from family and friends, and may have trouble keeping a job because of their actions. Without treatment, obsessions and the need to perform rituals can take over a person's life. OCD is an anxiety disorder that can be life-long. A person with OCD can also recover and then get the illness again, or relapse. This illness affects women and men in equal numbers. Most often, OCD begins during the teenage years or early childhood, although it can start in an adult.

The exact cause of OCD is not known. Researchers are looking at differences in brain activity among people who have OCD and persons who do not, for clues about It's cause. OCD is not caused by family problems. Nor is it caused by something in a person's childhood, such as an unusual focus on cleanliness, or a belief that certain thoughts are dangerous or wrong. It's important to know that when a person has OCD, It's not her or his fault. And, It's not something a person can just "snap out of."

What are the symptoms of OCD?

OCD shouldn't be confused with sometimes acting "compulsive." Individuals who act this way expect a lot from themselves, are very organized in their work and play, and are sometimes called "perfectionists." This type of "compulsiveness" often has value in a person's life. It can help a person feel good about themselves and help them be a success on the job. It differs greatly from OCD, which is an illness that can have a devastating effect on a person's life.

Symptoms of OCD include:

  • Having upsetting thoughts or images enter your mind again and again.
  • Feeling like you can't stop these thoughts or images, even though you want to.
  • Having a hard time stopping yourself from doing things again and again, like counting, checking on things, washing your hands, cleaning, re-arranging objects, doing things until it feels "right," or collecting useless objects.
  • Worrying a lot about terrible things that could happen if you're not careful.
  • Having unwanted urges to hurt someone, but knowing you never would.
  • People with OCD sometimes also abuse alcohol and drugs and can have other illnesses, such as depression, eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or other anxiety disorders. When a person also has other illnesses, OCD is often harder to diagnose and treat.


Disorders - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

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