What is OCD? How Does One Get Through the Day?

To understand Obsessive Compulsive Disorder it may only take someone five minutes of watching a person with it. If you do not have OCD then you may never understand to the extent it takes for some suffering with it just to get out of bed.

I have experienced this first hand from patients I worked with in the Mental Health Department as well as my ex husband had it really bad. Some people have been heard making jokes about it. I've had some people ask me why I was complaining because at least my ex does everything and I don't have to do nothing, but the damage goes deeper than that.

Can you for a quick moment imagine what it must feel like for a person who has the thought in their head that their hands are dirty? They feel there is germs on them so they wash their hands over and over until they literally wash them so much they begin to bleed.

Then there is the issue if the counters are clean enough. They wash them over and over and then take gloves and run their hand down the counter sometimes using bleach to re clean the same area. They are very particular in every thing they do.

Laundry has to be done a certain way, cooking, cleaning and even their clothes. People with OCD are often found to be called neat freaks. They may even take it as far as their outer appearance. Clothes have to be perfect no wrinkles, and their hair has to be perfect.

A person with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can't help it. Some may feel guilty about it but they also suffer from agonizing hell each day. I don't think I will ever understand the notion of thinking I left the coffee pot on and going back home and checking. Then they go out of the room and then back in over and over just to check the coffee pot.

If you were to look in a dresser of a person suffering from OCD you may find that their clothes look as if they just bought them. Perfectly color coded and aligned evenly. Tools, shoes, books, magazines etc all have to be perfectly aligned.

If you were to watch a person with OCD in their own home they may be caught walking around the room re-adjusting the pictures hanging on the wall or re-arranging the pillows on the couch. A person with OCD may also indulge in sexual situations with their impulses that can cause damage in a relationship.

There is help for people that have these great anxiety attacks and that suffer from daily obsessions. You can speak with your doctor about placing you on medication that helps with the part of brain that's damaged or you can also log onto a web site that has a forum you can join that's only for OCD patients. www.ocdtribe.com.

There are several other sites that I found interesting in regard to OCD. The mayo clinic on line is very informative as well as http.en.wik.pedia.org. The main thing is to have allot of patience and love for the loved one who suffers from OCD. They carry enough stress dealing with it day to day than to have to worry about relationships as well. As always seek medical attention with your doctor for further information or a examination.