About Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

A young boy wakes up, jumps from his bed, runs to touch his closet door and then runs back to his bed, only to begin this again. He is weeping by the time he has repeated this routine seven times, because he cannot explain why he is doing this. A woman is concerned about germs, but she doesn't use soap to wash her hands; she uses bleach. Although her hands are raw from repeated exposure to the chemical, as soon as she dries her hands, she begins washing them again. For people who suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder--and for their friends and families--these scenarios are a familiar and difficult part of daily life.

Features

• Obsessive compulsive disorder is a medical disorder that creates problems for the brain in processing information. There are two main parts of this disorder: the obsessions and the compulsions. Obsessions are uncontrollable, irrational thoughts that occur frequently and intrude into the daily life of the sufferer, creating anxiety and fears. The compulsive side of OCD involves the behaviors that the sufferer performs to relieve these anxieties and fears. These compulsive behaviors do not always have a logical link to their obsessive thoughts; a child who is afraid of abandonment might need to organize her stuffed animals. Nor do performing the compulsions lessen the mental concerns, thereby causing the sufferer to repeat these behaviors incessantly. Depression is often an additional feature of OCD, caused from the stress of dealing with the extreme and unexplainable fears and compulsions.

Size

• According to the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation, 1 in 50 adults suffers with this disorder, and twice that number have had it sometime in their lives. It can begin at any time of life, although one-third to one-half of adult sufferers of OCD claim that they experienced symptoms in their childhood.

Effects

• Obsessive compulsive disorder creates situations that make life a living torture for OCD sufferers and for their friends and family. Responding to the fears and compulsions can take significant time out of each day, creating challenges in daily routines. These compulsions can affect health if the sufferer is obsessive about germs or compulsive about eating certain foods or will only sleep under strict conditions. OCD adversely impacts relationships; not only do family members struggle with an OCD patient, people with OCD may get enraged when others do not go along with their compulsions. A child suffering from OCD is often teased by other children who do not understand.

Misconceptions

• Having extreme and rigid habits--such as alphabetizing everything in a pantry or aligning clothes in a closet according to size and color--is not always an indication of OCD. The main difference is the person's attitude about her habits. A person with obsessive compulsive disorder performs the ritualistic compulsions as a response to an obsessive fear.

Theories/Speculation

• According to the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation, obsessive compulsive disorder has no proven cause. OCD can run in families, but genetics are not completely to blame. Environment can trigger the disorder; when a child lives with an obsessive compulsive parent, the child can pick up certain compulsive behavior, such as extreme hygiene practices. There are no medical tests that determine OCD; it is diagnosed through evaluating a person's symptoms. The average person with OCD will see three to four doctors in a span of 9 years before being correctly diagnosed.

Expert Insight

• Treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder involves medication and therapy. OCD medication prevents serotonin from being reused in the brain, thus allowing a normal balance of the chemical in the brain. Cognitive behavior therapy exposes OCD sufferers to their fears while helping them not respond with their usual compulsive behaviors. Families who struggle with an OCD member are encouraged to educate themselves on the disorder and to seek counseling.