What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
Obsessions are intrusive, irrational thoughts: unwanted ideas or impulses that repeatedly well up in a person's mind. Again and again, the person experiences disturbing thoughts, such as "My hands must be contaminated; I must wash them"; "I may have left the gas stove on"; "I am going to injure my child. "
On one level, the sufferer knows these obsessive thoughts are irrational. But on another level, he or she fears these thoughts might be true. Trying to avoid such thoughts creates great anxiety.
Compulsions are repetitive rituals such as handwashing, counting, checking, hoarding, or arranging. An individual repeats these actions, perhaps feeling momentary relief, but without feeling satisfaction or a sense of completion. People with OCD feel they must perform these compulsive rituals or something bad will happen.
OCD is often described as "a disease of doubt." Sufferers experience "pathological doubt" because they are unable to distinguish between what is possible, what is probable, and what is unlikely to happen.
Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:
People who do the following may have OCD:
repeatedly
check things, perhaps dozens of times,
before feeling
secure enough to go to
sleep or leave
the house.
Is the stove off? Is the door locked? Is the
alarm set?
fear they
will harm others. Example: A man's car hits
a pothole
on a city street and he fears
it was actually
a body.
feel dirty
and contaminated. Example: A woman is
fearful of
touching her baby because she might
contaminate
the child.
constantly
arrange and order things. Example: A child
can't go to
sleep unless he lines up all his shoes correctly.
are excessively
concerned with body imperfections.
They insist
on numerous plastic surgeries, or spend
many,
many hours a day body-building.
are ruled
by numbers, believing that certain numbers
represent
good and others represent evil.
"Hope is necessary in every condition."
Samuel Johnson
1709-1784
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