OCD

OCD is characterized by anxiety-provoking thoughts that just won’t go away. For instance, you may see images of terrible things happening or have urges to do self-destructive acts.  Everyone follows certain rituals or routines. For example, consider what you do each day when you wake up or before you go to bed.

Obsessive thoughts

If you are suffering from OCD, you regularly battle obsessive thoughts that cause distressing emotions such as fear and disgust. For example, you may think that the stove has been left on even after having checked it over and over again, that you will die in a car crash, that a loved one will get hurt, or that you have poor hygiene.

Compulsions

You may have very little control over the situation presented by your obsessive thoughts, but they compel you to do certain routines and rituals to try and prevent a negative outcome. These may be related to the subject of your obsessive thoughts. For example, you may repetitively wash your hands to prevent possible hygiene issues. Alternatively, the rituals may have little to do with the obsessive thoughts. For example, you may feel compelled to bang your hand against a wall a certain number of times to prevent a loved one from dying.

Whether or not you believe that these compulsions will change the outcome of a situation, you turn to them to decrease the severe anxiety caused by the obsessive thoughts. OCD can be very distressing, and some sufferers turn to other means to try and get rid of the obsessive thoughts, including alcohol and substances.

Treatment

OCD can be treated using a combination of medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes.

Your psychiatric provider will prescribe antidepressants which have been shown to decrease the symptoms of OCD.

Therapy techniques include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), in which you learn to dispel irrational thoughts, and exposure and response prevention (ERP), in which you are gradually exposed to the object of your distress until you experience it as safe.

OCD might seem overwhelming, but with the appropriate treatment, you can begin to live your life free of the constraints that have been holding you back and keeping you from achieving your goals.