Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder in which a person experiences obsessions and compulsions. An obsession is a intrusive and unwanted thought[1] which an individual cannot rid themselves of. Compulsions are actions done to relieve the stress caused by the obsessions.
Every person has some level of obsessive-compulsiveness, but this does not make one obsessive-compulsive (OCD). The key difference between OCD and the normal spectrum of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors everyone has is the level of disruption caused by these thoughts and behaviors in an individual’s life.
One might be obsessive about checking the door twice – but this takes an extra five seconds and does not interrupt one’s normal daily functioning. On the other hand, someone with OCD might spend several hours checking the door, thus significantly disrupting their ability to function in normal society.[2]
OCD is also believed to occur in a purely obsessive form. In this form of OCD one does not have any “stress reliever” (compulsive) actions, rather one has only obsessive thoughts.
OCD can taken on innumerable forms and may change forms over the years in a single individual. I personally have suffered from the following obsessions/compulsions:
- Compulsive Hand Washing (to the point of bleeding).
- Irrational fear of loved ones (fear of being attacked by).
- Door Checking (irrational fear of being raped in the shower).
- Extreme Perfectionism (taking many hours to complete tasks that could be accomplished in much shorter lengths of time, or not completing a task at all because of an inability to perfectly complete).
- Religious (Scrupulosity) Perfectionism (extreme rigidity in relationship with God resulting in significant mental distress and a distancing from others).
- Apologizing profusely for the most minor offenses, even offenses others weren’t aware I had committed.
- Irrational Germ Phobia (especially afraid that my germs would injure others, resulting in extreme rituals to avoid contaminating others but can also be an extreme fear of contamination by others).
- Unreasonable Doubts (about my own nature, whether I had or had not done certain negative acts).
- Checking if I ran over a person on the road (I didn’t).
- Pulling at ones hair (I like to blame my premature balding on this).[3]
I have personally known fellow sufferers of OCD who have experienced:
- Obsessions with Numbers – A need to avoid the presence of certain numbers in their external world as well as in their thoughts. Having to correct these “wrong” numbers with “good” numbers.
- Obsessions with Movement – Movement must occur in a very precise fashion with the correct attitude or it must be repeated ad infinitum until done correctly.
- Extreme Dietary Concerns – A concern with diet which results in significant weight loss to the point where one might consider them anorexic.[4]
If you are not familiar with OCD I would encourage you to watch USA’s Monk. It is a relatively clean and entertaining show that chronicles the adventure of a detective whose greatest gift is his OCD (because it allows him to notice details) but is also his greatest curse (it interferes with his relationships and prevents him from performing necessary activities in life and work). It portrays many of the real struggles that an individual with OCD experiences, and while Monk may be entertaining (I laugh), the experiences portrayed are anything but entertaining for the sufferer.
- [1] The OCD individual may struggle with questions of whether a thought is truly unwanted. For example, does one want to dwell upon an intrusive sexual thought? It is possible that some small part of one’s being may want to – but when the whole is brought into angst and distress, it is safe to assume that this is a result of intrusion rather than volition. Rest in the grace of God! ↩
- [2] Note that activities such as gambling, sex, and alcoholism are not generally categorized as being OCD. While these problem behaviors may be compulsive in nature the act itself provides pleasure to the practitioner – at least momentarily, whereas OCD is generally considered to be an instance in which the only benefit of performing a compulsion is a reduction in pain. ↩
- [3] A disorder related to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is Trichotillomania – which involves obsessive pulling or picking at one’s hair and skin. ↩
- [4] Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is also related to Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). ↩