Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD is often portrayed in media as an almost humourously quirky need for tidiness, symmetry, or cleanliness. In truth, these things can be components of OCD, though they are anything but humourous for the individual striving to achieve them.
OCD is often characterized by annoying, sometimes intolerable, obsessions – repetitive unwanted thoughts that one can’t stop thinking about. In attempting to escape unwanted thoughts, the brain creates actions/routines to reduce the fear and distress associated with them – these become compulsions. For example, someone who cannot escape the thought they injured someone while driving home from work might develop a compulsion of retracing their route home to assure themselves everything is okay.
Not every obsession gives way to compulsions – purely obsessional symptoms can be among the most distressing as the brain identifies what an individual most values and casts doubts, uncertainties and fear around that. People with OCD are often hesitant to seek help because they fear being labelled as crazy.
In fact, many people who seek treatment for OCD are able to develop cognitive skills that offer great improvements to their quality of life – understanding the disorder and working through the emotions that accompany it has the potential to lessen the distress of symptoms.
Research shows that a combination of medication and counselling may offer the best results, particularly in severe cases. Counselling for OCD typically includes cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) with exposure and response prevention (ERP). Individuals interested in considering medication for OCD can speak with their doctor – many medications typically prescribed for anxiety and depression have been found to be effective in lessening OCD symptoms as well.
Talk to yourself the way you would talk to someone you love.
~ Brene Brown
