![]() ![]() Obsessions: Are involuntary, seemingly uncontrollable thoughts, images, or impulses that occur over and over again in your mind, even though you want them to stop. Obsessions and Compulsions: What is the difference? In fact, many adult suffers say that they first experienced symptoms during childhood. In the United States, one in 50 adults suffers from OCD, which affects both children and grownups. OCD is the fourth most common mental disorder and is diagnosed nearly as frequently as asthma and diabetes. Their brain gets stuck in a repetitive groove and they find themselves checking the stove 20 times to make sure it’s really turned off, washing their hands until they are scrubbed raw, or spending hours checking the windows over and over to make sure they are truly closed. ![]() Many people with OCD recognize on an intellectual level that such thoughts and behaviors are irrational, but even so, they cannot break free of them. The most common repetitive behavior is hand washing, but other examples include obsessive cleaning, repeated checking, extreme hoarding, preoccupation with sexual, violent or religious thoughts, dislike of particular numbers, and nervous rituals such as opening and closing doors a certain number of times before entering or leaving a room. The behaviors may make the person feel less anxious, or he or she may simply be powerless to stop doing them. The thoughts make the person feel afraid, apprehensive or worried. Facts About OCDīasically, it is an anxiety disorder characterized by uncontrollable, nagging thoughts and repetitive, ritualized behaviors that a person feels compelled to perform. We joke that we are “OCD” or obsessive-compulsive, but for those who truly suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, the situation is no laughing matter. Many of us have little behaviors that we repeat for some extra peace of mind–we may double-check that we unplugged the coffee pot before leaving for work, or that the house is locked up for the night. ![]()
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