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People with
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have persistent, upsetting
thoughts (obsessions) and use rituals (compulsions) to control
the anxiety these thoughts produce. Rituals can end up controlling
them. If you have OCD, you may be plagued by persistent, unwelcome
thoughts.
If people are obsessed
with germs or dirt, they may develop a compulsion to wash their
hands over and over again. If they develop an obsession with intruders,
they may lock and relock their doors many times before going to
bed. Being afraid of social embarrassment may prompt people with
OCD to comb their hair compulsively in front of a mirror-sometimes
they get “caught” in the mirror and can’t move
away from it. Performing such rituals is not pleasurable. At best,
it produces temporary relief from the anxiety created by obsessive
thoughts.
Other common rituals
are a need to repeatedly check things, touch things (especially
in a particular sequence), or count things. People with OCD may
also be preoccupied with order and symmetry, have difficulty throwing
things out (so they accumulate), or hoard unneeded items.
OCD strikes men and
women in roughly equal numbers and usually appears in childhood,
adolescence, or early adulthood. One-third of adults with OCD
develop symptoms as children, and research indicates that OCD
might run in families.
The course
of the disease is quite varied. Symptoms may come and go, ease
over time, or get worse. If OCD becomes severe, it can keep a
person from working or carrying out normal responsibilities at
home. People with OCD may try to help themselves by avoiding situations
that trigger their obsessions, or they may use alcohol or drugs
to calm themselves.
Depression or other
anxiety disorders may accompany OCD, and some people with OCD
may also have eating disorders. In addition, people with OCD may
avoid situations in which they might have to confront their obsessions,
or they may try unsuccessfully to use alcohol or drugs to calm
themselves. If OCD grows severe enough, it can keep someone from
holding down a job or from carrying out normal responsibilities
at home.
The earlier treatment
is begun, the less likely you are to develop complications from
the illness.
To book your free initial
consultation Click here - Toronto Psychotherapist .
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