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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ( OCD )

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common mental health condition that affects 2% of the population. It is characterised by obsessive thoughts that cause anxiety. This leads to rituals or repetitive actions - for example, constantly washing your hands, to relieve the anxiety.

OCD has two main features:

  • experiencing frequent, disturbing, unwanted thoughts that result in fears, and compulsions, act or rituals carried out in response to fears caused by the obsessions.

  • The overwhelming urge to carry out a certain ritual is known as a 'compulsion'.

Examples of compulsions include, excessive hand washing, cleaning, counting, checking, touching, arranging, hoarding, measuring, excessive neatness, and repeating tasks or actions. People with OCD carry out these types of compulsion in a desperate bid to calm the anxiety caused by their obsessions. However, once they have carried out the compulsion, they feel slightly better. This feeling is only temporary, because once the obsession comes back, the whole ritual starts again. If the person is unable to complete the compulsion it usually results in severe anxiety or panic. This is because they think that something terrible will happen if they don't finish or don't do it properly. The thoughts and actions of OCD may become so upsetting and time-consuming that it gets in the way of work and family life. This can lead to anxiety or depression.

In some cases, a person may have only obsessive thoughts without showing compulsive behaviour or vice-versa. Examples of obsessions are worrying excessively about germs, contamination, dirt, fearing having harmed others, intrusive sexual thoughts or urges, death and illness. People with OCD are usually aware that their compulsions and obsessions are irrational or excessive. However, just knowing is not enough to stop the obsessions and compulsions and treatment is needed.

The following disorders also display obsessive symptoms that are similar to OCD:

  • Trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling).

  • Compulsive skin picking.

  • Eating disorders.

  • Body dysmorphic disorder (extreme anxiety over body appearance).

  • Hypochondriasis (irrational ideas or fears of having a serious illness).

  • There is also a higher rate of OCD in people with Tourette's Syndrome, affecting approximately 35-50%.