Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that causes uncontrollable, recurring thoughts (known as obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (known as compulsions). These symptoms can be time consuming, cause significant distress, and make it difficult to go about your daily life [1].
The Nature of OCD
Obsessions: Intrusive Thoughts and Fears
If you struggle with OCD, you might experience obsessions, compulsions, or a combination of both. Obsessions are intrusive and unwanted thoughts, urges, or mental images that can cause significant anxiety. Some common obsessions include:
- Worry about forgetting, losing, or misplacing things
- Concern over losing control of your behavior
- Aggressive thoughts directed at yourself or others
- Unwanted, forbidden, or taboo thoughts related to sex, religion, or harm
- A strong desire for symmetry or orderliness in your environment
Compulsions: Repetitive Behaviors or Mental Acts
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that you feel compelled to perform, usually as a response to an obsession. Common compulsions include:
- Excessive cleaning or handwashing
- Arranging or ordering items in a specific way
- Repeatedly checking things, like whether the door is locked or a light is turned off
- Compulsive counting
- Praying or silently repeating certain words
The OCD Cycle and How It’s Reinforced
The OCD cycle involves repetitive loops of obsessive thoughts, anxiety, compulsions, and a temporary relief that then reinforces the disorder.
The cycle begins with intrusive and distressing thoughts or images (obsessions) that provoke significant anxiety. To alleviate your distress, you might engage in compulsive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions), such as excessive handwashing or repeatedly checking locks.
While performing these compulsions offers short-term relief, it reinforces the behavior as you might experience a sense of calm after completing the compulsion. Over time, this cycle strengthens the connection between obsessions and compulsions, making it increasingly difficult to break free from the pattern.
As a result, compulsions become an ineffective coping mechanism that temporarily alleviates anxiety without addressing the underlying issues, trapping you in a loop that significantly interferes with your daily routine. Understanding this OCD cycle is the first step towards effective treatment, which focuses on disrupting the link between obsessions and compulsions.
Defining Mental Illness
Mental illness affects how you think, feel, and act. You might experience a mental illness for a long period of time–weeks, months, or even years. Mental illness often evokes significant emotional pain, making common life responsibilities such as everyday tasks, relationships, and work difficult to manage. Mental illness can disrupt your ability to think clearly and manage your emotions [2].
Diagnostic Criteria Used by Mental Health Professionals
Mental health professionals use various criteria to diagnose you with conditions, typically following guidelines from the DSM-5. They begin by assessing symptoms, focusing on how frequently they occur and how long the symptoms last.
Professionals in the field will also assess functional impairment, evaluating how symptoms affect your daily functioning and ability to connect with peers, navigate work and daily tasks, and your overall ability to engage in the responsibilities of life. Our professionals also gather a thorough understanding of your mental health history for more information about your experience with mental illness.
Related: What is a Psychological Evaluation?
The Role of the DSM-5 in Diagnosis
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Volume 5 (DSM-5) is the essential guide for healthcare professionals when it comes to diagnosing mental disorders. The DSM-5 includes detailed descriptions, symptoms, and specific criteria for different diagnoses.
OCD is a Recognized Mental Illness
In the DSM-5, OCD is classified under the category of “Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders” [3]. This category highlights specific characteristics that differ from other anxiety inducing disorders.
Why is OCD Considered a Mental Illness?
OCD is considered a mental illness because it involves significant disruptions in thoughts, feelings, and actions. Obsessions and compulsions are difficult to control, leading to substantial stress and impairment in your life.
The Impact of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder on Daily Functioning
If you struggle with OCD, you might find yourself spending hours each day on compulsive behaviors. This can make it difficult to keep a job, attend school, or maintain relationships with people in your life.
Even simple tasks, like leaving the house for groceries or making basic decisions, can feel overwhelming, resulting in avoidance of daily responsibilities and people. Ultimately, OCD can greatly reduce your quality of life and limit your ability to fully engage with the world around you.
Differentiating OCD from Other Anxiety Disorders
OCD stands apart from other anxiety inducing disorders in several important ways. OCD involves specific intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and compulsive, repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that you feel compelled to perform to alleviate the anxiety your obsessions cause [4].
In contrast, other anxiety disorders, like Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), are characterized by excessive worry without the compulsive actions typically associated with OCD. While OCD is driven by specific fears leading to ritualistic behaviors, other anxiety inducing disorders often result in avoidance responses rather than compulsive responses.
Risk Factors and Causes of OCD
Biological Factors
Research suggests that genetics plays a significant role in the development of OCD; if you have a family history of OCD you might be at higher risk of developing the condition. Additionally, if you struggle with OCD, you might have certain differences in your brain structure, specifically in the amygdala and cortex of your brain that are causing your symptoms.
Environmental Influences
Environmental factors can affect the onset of OCD. Traumatic events, such as abuse, loss, or major life changes, can trigger symptoms if you are predisposed to OCD. Additionally, stress and anxiety can affect existing OCD symptoms. In some cases, infections or illnesses have also been linked to the sudden onset of OCD.
Psychological Factors
Certain psychological traits may increase the risk of developing OCD. If you have perfectionist tendencies or high levels of anxiety, you may be more prone to developing OCD. Additionally, maladaptive coping strategies and rigid thinking patterns can worsen the condition.
Related: What Causes Mental Illness?
How OCD Impacts Your Life
Personal Relationships
OCD can significantly impact various aspects of life, particularly personal relationships. It often leads to misunderstandings and frustration among family and friends due to time-consuming rituals that limit social interactions, making open communication and education about the disorder the best way for fostering support.
Work and Academic Performance
In work and academic settings, OCD can disrupt concentration and affect performance, causing additional anxiety in already high-stress situations and potentially leading to avoidance of responsibilities.
Overall Quality of Life
If you have OCD, your overall quality of life can be greatly affected due to the pervasive nature of the disorder. Your daily routine may become controlled by compulsions and avoidance behaviors, making it difficult to engage in and enjoy daily life.
Debunking Common Myths About Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Myth: OCD is only about cleanliness or organization.
Debunk: OCD is much more complex than being clean and organized. It can lead to an excessive fear of contamination, which leads to the compulsion of excessive washing. Other types of OCD can be sexual obsessions, violent obsessions, religious obsessions, responsibility obsessions, identity obsessions, and perfectionism obsessions.
Myth: OCD is a personality quirk or preference.
Debunk: People with OCD experience intrusive thoughts and compulsions and are unable to control these symptoms on their own without intervention from a mental health practitioner.
Myth: OCD is untreatable.
Debunk: Depending on the severity of the OCD, short-term and long-term care from OCD treatment programs will help to treat the condition. A variety of treatments available are Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), which is a type of CBT therapy, and medications in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) category.
The Importance of Understanding OCD
Understanding OCD is important for a few key reasons:
- Reducing Stigma: When people know what OCD entails, it helps break down misconceptions and stigma surrounding the disorder. This leads to more empathy and support for those dealing with OCD and related symptoms.
- Recognizing OCD Symptoms: A clear understanding of the condition allows people to recognize their symptoms, which can lead to getting support and OCD treatment sooner.
- Informed Conversations: Understanding obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) makes it easier to have meaningful discussions about our mental health, encouraging us to talk openly and support one another.
- Finding the Right Treatment: Knowing more about OCD can help guide you to the right resources and treatment options.
Living with OCD: Management and Coping Strategies
Importance of Ongoing OCD Treatment
Living with OCD requires continuous support, which makes consistent treatment essential. Regular group and individual therapy sessions can help reinforce healthy coping strategies and provide a safe space to address challenges as they arise.
Self-Help Techniques
In addition to professional support, incorporating self-help techniques can be beneficial for managing OCD. Mindfulness practices, such as journalling, meditation, and deep breathing, can help reduce anxiety and increase awareness of intrusive thoughts and compulsive behavior.
Building a Support Network
Creating a strong support network can provide a great foundation for anyone living with OCD. Connecting with family, friends, or support groups can provide encouragement and support while navigating OCD and the related symptoms.
Seeking Professional Help for OCD
Early intervention can help reduce the severity of OCD symptoms, improve daily functioning, and prevent the disorder from worsening. Getting timely support will also equip you with coping strategies and tools to manage your symptoms, ultimately enhancing your overall quality of life.
If you’re dealing with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), remember that you’re not alone–there is help out there for you. While managing and treating OCD can be difficult, you can find relief if you reach out to a professional, engage in therapy, support groups, and clinical treatment programs.
Treatment Options at Clear Behavioral Health
Mental health treatment is not one-size-fits-all, which is why Clear offers a variety of services tailored to your unique needs. We provide residential programs for intensive care, outpatient programs for ongoing support, and virtual options that allow you to integrate treatment into your daily life.
We provide treatment options for a wide variety of mental health conditions. In addition to OCD, we treat depression, anxiety, PTSD and trauma, ADHD, bipolar disorder, stress and drug and alcohol addiction through our mental health services and addiction treatment programs.
Additionally, we have specialized programs for teens, designed to help them address mental health challenges and navigate the specific difficulties of adolescence. Recognizing that mental health issues often co-occur with substance abuse, we also offer a dual diagnosis program. This approach will help you address mental health disorders and any related substance dependencies, promoting comprehensive healing of both mind and body.
How We Treat OCD at Clear
At Clear, your journey will begin with an intake assessment where we will gain an understanding of your unique experience with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This will help us create an evidence-based and highly individualized treatment plan for you.
No matter which program you enter, you will receive individual and group therapy, focusing on exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to minimize and manage your symptoms. You can also receive prescribed medication such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) to ensure that your medication regime is best suited to alleviate your OCD symptoms.
During your treatment, you will be supported by our entire clinical team—psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and therapists. Our team will collaborate daily to adjust your treatment plan so that as your condition evolves, so does your treatment. Since we offer virtual, outpatient, and inpatient services, no matter what level of care you seek, we have a place for you.
OCD affects millions of people worldwide. Acknowledging OCD as a mental health disorder is the next step in seeking the help and support needed for healing. You deserve support, compassion, and understanding as you navigate this journey, and Clear is here to help.
Call us today to book your free mental health assessment or to learn more about our treatment programs for OCD including residential mental health treatment in Torrance, CA and Manhattan Beach, CA for severe cases, outpatient programs in Los Angeles, Redondo Beach, Pasadena, Van Nuys, Manhattan Beach, Santa Clarita, El Segundo and El Monte, California for ongoing support, and virtual IOP serving all of California. Your journey to improved mental health begins today.
References
- American Psychiatric Association. OCD Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/topics/ocd
- National Alliance of Mental Health OCD. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
- National Library of Medicine. OCD. Retrieved From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t13/
- International OCD Foundation. Retrieved from https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/
