Compulsions Versus Obsessions: What is the Difference in Mental Health?

Mental health disorders are a leading cause of healthcare expenses among adults in the United States and often these conditions are treated with medication. In some cases, the symptoms of a mental health disorder may cause not only abnormal thoughts but also abnormal behaviors. If you are suffering from a mental health disorder that is causing your thoughts and actions to be maladaptive, it is important to consider psychotherapy and to be sure you understand the difference between compulsions and obsessions.

When living with a mental health disorder such as Obsessive-Compulsive disorder, there are two parts of the diagnosis that make the condition unique- thoughts and actions. When obsessing about a situation or an object, the mental health disorder causes obsessive recurring thoughts to take place. This type of recurring thought process can be so overwhelming that many OCD patients find they are unable to focus on anything else in their lives.

Unlike obsessions or thoughts, compulsions are the actual physical movement or action associated with a mental health disorder. Compulsions, in most cases, are in direct response to the obsession, or recurring thoughts. While thoughts and obsessions can impede normal function by inhibiting focus on other issues of concern, compulsions can be more damaging if the action or behavior is life threatening or impacts the health of other individuals.

When seeking treatment for a condition that is associated with OCD symptoms, it is important to address not only the obsessive thoughts that are recurring but to also address the behaviors and compulsions of acting out to those thoughts. As a result, medications should be accompanied with cognitive-behavioral therapy to achieve the greatest health outcome.

Understanding the difference between behavior and thoughts is important to understanding the dynamic of most mental health complications. The degree to which an obsession leads to a compulsion will often determine what type of treatment is needed. In many cases patients with severe reactions to thoughts will require more than medications to overcome their mental health disorder.

Sources: Overcoming Obsessive Thoughts, by David Clark, Ph.D.