The Basics of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Do you often find yourself counting steps, feeling the need to touch objects as you walk by them, washing your hands repeatedly, not wanting to shake hands with someone for fear of germs, unable to leave the house out of fear something terrible might happen?

A person dealing with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder might seem a perfectionist, having to have things 'balanced' or evened out. It could be the person who is fears is afraid to leave their home thinking something terrible will befall them if they do. You might find yourself unable to hug the one you love the most, simply because you don't know when they last bathed and the thought of germs terrifies you.

OCD can seem very irrational to most people, even to the person who has it. But the fears that accompany OCD are very real to the person with OCD. The compulsions can become obsessive to the point that they can severely disrupt everyday life. The symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder can vary greatly among those suffering from the disorder. One person might have mild things to deal with while another might be to the point of being classified as disabled due to the severity of compulsions and dealing with them.

Some examples that might indicate you have OCD:

==>> You get up in the morning and absolutely must do the exact same thing, in the same order, same fashion, the same number of times, without deviating from the routine. It's a ritual, for example, that the first thing you do after getting out of bed is to walk into the bathroom, but you have to walk in and out over of it five times, take care of personal business, flush five times to be sure things are okay in that area, then brush your hair exactly five times in each hand, wash your hands for five minutes, brush your teeth for five minutes, then walk back in and out of the bathroom another five times. Any deviating from the patterned ritual, the number of times it's done, etc, can almost be a disaster.

==>> Anytime throughout the day that you need to use the bathroom, you must repeat the process of going in and out of the door to the bathroom 5 times, both entering and when leaving.

==>> You are often afraid to leave your home, for fear something terrible and horrible will happen while you are gone. The fear of something bad happening overwhelms you.

==>> You are either super clean to the point that you could actually eat off of your floor, or you feel so overwhelmed at trying to keep it like you want it and have just given up to living in a world of cluttered chaos.

If you have any of these symptoms, to the point that they control your life, it might be a good idea to see a doctor that deals with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and they will be able to diagnosis it and help treat the symptoms and deal with the day to day struggles that accompany the disorder.

These are but a few of the characteristics of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). There are various levels of OCD, ranging from mild to severe. Obsessing and feeling compulsive behaviors in a mild manner won't disrupt the average person's life and usually there is not a need for medication. Having a severe case might require medical treatment and medications such as Zoloft, Paxil, or other medicines. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is treatable, with or without medications.