Five things you may not know about OCD
Although the cliches and jokes you may have heard about obsessivecompulsive disorder – or OCD – tend to focus on cleanliness and tidying, there is much more to it than that.
OCD is a mental health condition where obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours come together to create significant distress and disturbance in day-to-day life.
There are lots of misconceptions and unhelpful stereotypes about what OCD really is though, which can add to the challenges for people affected.
Here are five things you might not know about OCD...
1. Compulsions can be behavioural and mindbased
“Compulsions are when you feel the repeated urge to do certain things. If you resist the compulsion, you might feel afraid or tense. If you carry out the compulsive action, the tension might ease for a short time, which motivates you to perform the action again repeatedly,” explains Dr Bryony Henderson, lead GP at Livi, which provides an online therapy service. “In this way, the disorder may gradually extend into multiple areas of your life.”
However, obsessive compulsions can also manifest in “thoughtcancelling or thoughtneutralisation”, explains Dr Marianne Trent, clinical psychologist and trauma specialist (goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk). “It is like bargaining with yourself: if I think or do something, it will make something else more or less likely.”
2. OCD can impact relationships
Performing compulsions or needing a lot of reassurance can impact on relationships.
“Many obsessive-compulsive actions are difficult to hide, like if someone washes their hands an excessive number of times a day, or arrives late for work because they need to check and recheck everything before leaving the house. Understandably, these actions can put tremendous strain on relationships,” says Dr Henderson.
3. We aren’t all just ‘a little bit OCD’
“We all experience obsessions and compulsions sometimes. But for those of us living with OCD, it can have a huge impact on our day-to-day lives,” says Kerry Mcleod, head of information content at the mental health charity, Mind (mind. org.uk). “Compulsions can take up so much time that we may not be able to go to work, make plans to see friends and family, or sometimes even go outside.”
4. OCD can be triggered by traumatic events
A need for control following trauma may spiral into OCD.
“OCD and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD] can both commonly occur in people with a history of trauma. One study revealed the chances of a person developing OCD within a year of being diagnosed with PTSD is about 30%,” says Dr Henderson.
5. OCD and hoarding may go hand-in-hand
When it comes to common stereotypes, OCD and hoarding might look like opposites. But in reality, hoarding can sometimes be a sign of OCD. Dr Henderson says: “This can be because one obsessively collects things out of fear of accidentally throwing something important away.”