Obsessive compulsive disorder is a condition in which anxiety drives intrusive thinking, a preoccupation to avoid potential threats, and often a compulsion to engage in ritualistic behaviors in attempt to control or avoid a certain outcome. For example if someone is obsessively concerned with germs and illness, they may compulsively wash their hands. However sometimes the anxiety-provoking concern, and the ritualized behavior do not have such an obvious link as clean hands and germ avoidance.
Everyone has concerns. And, it's totally normal to take precautions to avoid negative situations and stay out of harm's way. However, It's important to understand that with OCD the concerns become overblown and overwhelming causing distress. Additionally the compulsive actions may feel irresistible, uncontrollable, or otherwise interfere with normal, everyday living.
Having OCD is more than just being a 'neat-freak' or having a semi-rigid processes around your daily habits - though extreme rigidity that is interfering with work, relationships, or limiting your ability to pursue life in the way that you would like is something to explore.
OCD commonly has two aspects: the obsession and the compulsion.
Obsessions are typically anxiety or fear-based concern that becomes extreme. For example a beyond normal fear of contamination, extreme anxiety about the order or arrangement about objects, intrusive thoughts and worries about hurting oneself or others, or an extreme concern about engaging in inappropriate behavior or saying the wrong thing such as cursing in public.
Compulsions are irresistible urges and behavior in attempt to control or lessen the anxiety caused by the obsession. For example extreme or repeated cleaning of hands or surfaces, mental rituals that must be repeated, repeating specific acts like opening the door or closing a window, repeating words or phrases, repeatedly reordering or arranging things.
Depending on the severity of your symptoms therapy, or therapy and medication may be considered. Talk therapy will address thought processes that drive the obsessions and compulsions, may explore the origin of the fear or anxiety that accompanies the obsessions and compulsions. Therapy may also gradually use exposure to help you confront the patterns of thinking and subsequent actions. Skill building will help you increase your tolerance for not engaging in the ritualized behavior, help you challenge obsessive thoughts, reclaim control, and develop more workable thoughts and actions. If medication is prescribed it will be to address to help lessen symptoms of anxiety which can be helpful when adopting new ways of thinking and acting.
