Obsessive compulsion disorder or the acronym OCD is a state of mental disorder that can severely affect a person’s thoughts as well as his behavior. It is a mental illness that obsesses the person to do certain things or have specific thoughts with the compulsion of the same pattern. Generally, this is a disorder a person has since early childhood, but there is also the possibility of developing it at puberty.
A person with OCD may find himself obsessed with hygiene or perfectionism or may find it compulsory to blink constantly. The patients may also be obsessed with checking if they have locked their house or cars or worry about whether they turned off the gas or not. This mental condition makes the patient doubt himself as well as the people around him.
Symptoms of a Person Suffering From OCD
The symptoms showed by the person suffering from OCD are of two types, namely compulsion and obsession. It is a communal phenomenon that a person suffering from OCD may show symptoms of both types. These symptoms are not short-termed and affect the major part of the patient’s life. These symptoms also stop them from doing basic activities like socializing with others, going to schools or being comfortable at the workplace.
Symptoms of Obsession
- Obsession of hygiene, constantly worrying about dirt or germs.
- Fear of having some kind of illness.
- The constant fear of something happening to them or their close ones.
- Having violent or explicit thoughts
Symptoms of Compulsion
- Finding it compulsory to wash hands, body or other objects that may be dirty according to them.
- Doing something for a fixed number of times.
- Hoarding things and not letting them go.
- Keeping things in a certain order and thoroughly organized.
These are some of the patients’ most common obsessions and compulsive behavior. However, there are some cases in which some patients have shown more than one compulsive or obsessive behavior.
Treatment of OCD
Many people used to believe that since it is a mental disorder, there would be no possible treatment for it, and once a person is diagnosed, he has to stay like this life-long. This is a misconception as OCD can be treated, and the patients who have been treated are leading an everyday healthy life. A person can easily get treated with the Services Telakai Health provides.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy- Cognitive Behavioral therapy, better known as CBT, is one of the most effective therapies for a person with OCD. After identifying them, it can help the person change their harmful or violent thoughts.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy- This can help the patients by helping them let out the thoughts which they have been burying inside. By recognizing them and then accepting them, a person can quickly recover.
- Medication- Medication that the psychiatrist has prescribed has proven to show a very high success rate to treat this disorder.
Other than these treatments, a person suffering from OCD needs constant support from the people around them. So, if there is somebody around you who has this disorder, make sure to help them cope with this.