By: Ayyan Shaikh
I have seen many people use the abbreviation OCD in their daily life describing a common/ standard action/behaviour and there are many reasons why this is harmful. One of them is because it results in people being unaware about the actual disorder which results in failure of diagnosing the people who do indeed suffer from this disorder. OCD is a mental illness that causes repeated unwanted thoughts or sensations or the urge to do something over and over again. Although you may not want to think or do these things, you feel powerless to stop.
Everyone has habits or thoughts that repeat sometimes. People with OCD have thoughts or actions that:
Take up at least an hour a day
Are beyond your control
Aren’t enjoyable
Interfere with work, your social life, or another part of life
OCD Types and Symptoms
OCD comes in many forms, but most cases fall into at least one of four general categories:
Checking, such as locks, alarm systems, ovens, or light switches, or thinking you have a medical condition like pregnancy or schizophrenia
Contamination, a fear of things that might be dirty or a compulsion to clean. Mental contamination involves feeling like you’ve been treated like dirt.
Symmetry and ordering, the need to have things lined up in a certain way
Ruminations and intrusive thoughts, an obsession with a line of thought. Some of these thoughts might be violent or disturbing.
Many people who have OCD know that their thoughts and habits don’t make sense. They don’t do them because they enjoy them, but because they can’t quit. And if they stop, they feel so bad that they start again.
Obsessive thoughts can include:
Worries about yourself or other people getting hurt
Constant awareness of blinking, breathing, or other body sensations
Suspicion that a partner is unfaithful, with no reason to believe it
Compulsive habits can include:
Doing tasks in a specific order every time or a certain “good” number of times
Needing to count things, like steps or bottles
Fear of touching doorknobs, using public toilets, or shaking hands
OCD is a bit more common in women than in men. Symptoms often occur in young adults or teens. Stress can also make the symptoms worse. There’s no cure for OCD. But you may be able to manage how your symptoms affect your life through medicine, therapy, or a combination of treatments.
(Image from here.)
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