Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by two components:
- Obsessions are strong thoughts, urges, worries, or doubts that repeatedly dominate one’s mind. These persisting ideas can elicit intense feelings of anxiety or mental discomfort in individuals, leading to significant distress.
- Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that are drive to perform as a result of the obsessive thoughts. These repetitive behaviors or mental acts are meant to reduce anxiety related to your obsessions or prevent something bad from happening. However, engaging in the compulsions brings no pleasure and creates constant burn to the affected individual. It offers only a temporary relief from anxiety.
Obsession symptoms
- Not wanting to touch things others have touched.
- Intense stress when objects aren’t placed in a certain way
- Doubts that you’ve locked the door or turned off the stove, etc.
- Unwanted, intrusive images of taboo subject matter
- Repetitive thoughts of doing things you really don’t want to do
Compulsion symptoms
- Excessive hand washing, even if your skin is already raw
- Arranging objects in a precise way, even when it’s not necessary.
- Repeatedly checking doors, the stove, or other things to make sure they’re off, even if it means you can’t leave the house
- Silently counting or repeating a word or phrase, even though you want to stop.
Listen to Expert
A conversation with Stanford psychiatrist Carolyn Rodriguez, MD, PhD, about her interested in the use of ketamine to treat OCD. Read more…