OCD Information

What is OCD ?

Obsessive compulsive disorder ( OCD ) is a common, chronic and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over. OCD is a mental illness

What are some of the signs and symptoms of OCD ?

People with OCD may have symptoms of obsessions, compulsions, or both. These symptoms can interfere with all aspects of life, such as work, school, and personal relationships

​​Obsessions are repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that cause anxiety. Common symptoms include:

◾ Fear of germs or contamination

◾ Unwanted forbidden or taboo thoughts involving sex, religion, and harm

◾ Aggressive thoughts towards others or self

◾ Having things symmetrical or in a perfect order

Compultions are repetitive behaviors that a person with OCD feels the urge to do in response to an obsessive thought. Common compulsions include:

◾ Excessive cleaning and/or hand washing

◾ Ordering and arranging things in a particular, precise way

◾ Repeatedly checking on things, such as repeatedly checking to see if the door is locked or that the oven is off
Compulsive counting

Please Note:

Not all rituals or habits are compulsions. Everyone double checks things sometimes. But a person with OCD generally:

◾ ​​​​​​​​Can't control his or her thoughts or behaviors, even when he/she realises that those thoughts or behaviors are excessive or irrational

◾ Spends at least 1 hour a day on these thoughts or behaviors

◾ Doesn't get pleasure when performing the behaviors or rituals, but may feel brief relief from the anxiety the thoughts cause

​​​​​​◾ Experiences significant problems in their daily life due to these thoughts or behaviors

How common is OCD ?

​​​​​OCD is common . Approximately 2.3% of the population between ages 18- 54 suffers from OCD, which even out ranks mental disorders such as: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or panic disorder. In the U.S. alone, approximately 3.3 million people have OCD

Is OCD treatable ?

OCD is higly treatable . The two main treatments are:

◾ ​Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) involving graded exposure and response prevention (ERP) – therapy that encourages you to face your fear and let the obsessive thoughts occur without "putting them right" or "neutralising" them with compultions

◾ Medication – to control your symptoms by altering the balance of chemicals in your brain

Common myths about OCD

✖ All excessively neat people have OCD.

✔ One common sign of OCD is an obsession with cleanliness — such as constantly washing your hands or excessively cleaning household items. But a cleanliness complex can also be a personality traits , which is where the confusion lies . If its a personality trait, you have control — you can choose to do it or not. If you have obsessive compulsive disorder, youre doing it out of unrelenting debilitating anxiety.

✖ OCD is all about cleanliness.

✔ Sure, a fixation on keeping things clean may be a common compulsion of OCD, but its not the only one (and not everyone with OCD has it). Other common compulsions include hoarding items, checking and rechecking that you didnt make a mistake, fearing something bad such as a fire or accident, and repeating routines such as going in and out of a door.

✖ ​​Stress causes OCD.

✔ Do you think people with OCD should just relax and stop obsessing? It's not quite that simple . OCD incites uncontrollable fears and anxiety — and while stressful situations can exacerbate symptoms in people with obsessive compulsive disorder, stress alone does not cause it.

✖ OCD is rooted in your childhood.

✔ Many people ​​​mistakenly believe that people who exhibit signs of OCD grew up in dysfunctional homes and have poor self-esteem as a result. What happened in your childhood has very little to do with having OCD when you grow up. However obsessive compulsive disorder does run in families and researchers believe genetics may play at least some part in its development, as well as experiences.

✖ OCD is rare in kids.

✔ At least 1 in every 200 children and teens has obsessive compulsive disorder and it can strike as young as 4 years old. This is about the same number of children who have diabetes — but no one considers diabetes to be rare. If you took an average-size elementary school, youd find four or five kids with OCD. In a medium to large high school, youd find about 20 students dealing with obsessive compulsive disorder.

✖ OCD is a womans disease.

✔ It may seem like more women than men would have an anxiety disorder like OCD, but according to the International OCD Foundation, OCD affects men, women, and children and of all ethnic, racial, and economic backgrounds at the same rate. While signs of OCD can start at any age, its typically seen between the ages of 10 and 12 or between late teens and early adulthood.

✖ Tests can confirm OCD.

✔ Unlike cancer or diabetes, obsessive compulsive disorder cannot be diagnosed with a blood test or a scan. However, your doctor is likely to conduct a physical examination and order tests to rule out other medical conditions. If mental health professionals suspect you have OCD, they are likely to ask you a series of questions and look for three signs of OCD: whether you have obsessions, whether you exhibit compulsive behaviors, and if you do, whether they get in the way of your normal activities.

✖ OCD isnt treatable.

✔ Many people don't seek OCD treatment because theyre embarrassed, and that may be why people think it cant be treated. OCD is definitely treatable. The first line of OCD treatment is exposure and response prevention, a face-your-fears therapy. Some people need a combination of behavioral therapy and medications. OCD cannot be cured but it can be controlled with proper treatment.

I'm worried I may have OCD, how can I seek help ?

People with OCD are often reluctant to seek help because they feel ashamed or embarrassed. However, if you have OCD, there is nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about. It is a long-term health condition like diabetes or asthma, and it is not your fault you have it.

Seeking help is important because it is unlikely your symptoms will improve if left untreated, and they may get worse.

You should try visiting your GP if you think you may have OCD. Initially, they will probably ask a number of questions about your symptoms and how they affect you.
If your GP suspects OCD, you may need to be referred to a specialist for an assessment and appropriate treatment.

How can I help a family member or friend who's struggling with OCD ?

1. Focus on the sufferers positive qualities and avoid making personal criticisms . Negative comments or criticism can make OCD worse, while a calm, supportive environment will help improve the outcome of treatment.

2. Don't scold someone with OCD or tell the person to stop performing rituals. They can't comply, and the pressure to stop will only make the behaviors worse. Remember, your loved ones OCD behaviors are symptoms, not character flaws.

3. Be as kind and patient as possible. Each sufferer needs to overcome problems at their own pace. Notice and praise all attempts to resist OCD . Often efforts that may seem tiny or insignificant to you require a huge effort from the person suffering with OCD

4. Do not play along with your loved ones OCD rituals. Helping the sufferer with rituals will only reinforce the behavior. Support the person, not their rituals.

5. ​​​​​​​​Create a pact to ​not allow OCD to take over family life. Sit down as a family and decide how you will work together to tackle your loved ones OCD symptoms. Try to keep family life as normal as possible and the home a low-stress environment.

6. Communicate positively, directly and clearly. Communication is important so you can find a balance between standing up to the OCD and not further distressing your loved one.

Most of all remember to show your love, care and​ utmost support towards the person suffering with OCD and try your very best to understand just how impossibly hard what they're going really is. Be there for them and don't give up on them. They'll appreciate that more than anything. Don't forget to have some boundaries and limits too though. Try never to allow your family life to revolve around the OCD

To those of you lovelies who are personally struggling with OCD, you're not alone and you can get through this even though now it may seem like a continual, unending struggle. You are you, you are beautiful and you are not your OCD. We are here for you to do our best to support you through your struggles. Keep on fighting and please stay strong ♥