Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, often referred to as the "doubting disease" is so much more common than is generally believed and this is due to the guilt and shame felt by its victims, forcing them to keep it a secret. This secrecy, accounts for the fact that most sufferers do not look for help immediately and often leave it for years before they start. The last estimate, a few years ago, suggested that the figures are up to 1 in 40 people suffering with OCD.
As the name suggests it is made up of two elements, Obsessions and Compulsions. Obsessions involve unwanted intrusive thoughts, images or ideas causing people to feel extremely anxious. Compulsions are actions or behaviours in response to that extreme anxiety and often result in repetitive and senseless rituals being carried out in an attempt to somehow remove the anxiety created in the minds of the victims. Sadly the rituals only give very temporary relief and it becomes inevitable, that if left un-challenged, it will gradually get worse, demanding more and more rituals from the sufferer.
Most of us have some element of OCD present in our personalities, things like having a preference for some objects to be positioned a certain way, or occasionally questioning did I leave the fire on, the iron, the radio, or did I lock the door when I left home. Also things like keeping objects we don't really need, just in case we might. The need to repeatedly count things to make sure, or constantly checking we have the tickets or passports. The list goes on, if we are anxious about something important to us, but generally these are only temporary conditions. It is only when our lives are seriously impaired with these persistent fears, and considerable time spent on pointless rituals to make ourselves feel less anxious, then it has become OCD.OCD comes in many different forms and although every OCD victim's case is unique, in many ways there are also an amazing consistency about how it makes people behave in their attempt to get through each day. In the second half of this page there are brief descriptions of the most common types of Obsessions and Compulsions. Sufferers are not necessarily restricted to only one type but could have problems from the other categories too.
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What is OCD ?
The initials stand for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and as is suggested in the conditions name, it is a combination of Obsessions and also Compulsions. For sometime now, as is mentioned in the above section, it has been frequently referred to as the "Doubting Disease" and as you look deeper into the condition that statement will begin to make perfect sense to you.OCD is very much more widespread than the victims usually imagine. Most victims feel compelled to keep it a secret due to the guilt and shame they inevitably feel, often believing somehow that they must be slightly insane to behave the way they are driven to. This just adds to the cruelty of the disorder that already inflicts so much pain and frustrations to their daily routines and can gradually begin to control their world with ever increasing intensity. Any normality they appear to have with the rest of the world is all too frequently a pure facade.
One of the problems with the disabling condition is that it normally starts in a very minor way, only being a slight inconvenience and quite easy to hide from those around them but sadly without any professional help can end up devouring their every waking thought. This is not one of those conditions where you can just try to be positive and pull yourself together, or attempt to ignore those inner voices, or use voice of reason to overcome the seemingly nonsensical demands. It is just impossible to talk yourself out of it on any logical grounds, the compulsion is just too overwhelming and needs to be obeyed, albeit discretely or in private, the price demanded has to be obeyed or it will refuse to let you go until it is satisfied. How much repetition is required of these seemingly pointless rituals to quench the demand ? Victims could not even tell themselves, let alone someone who may ask them that question, they just know or will feel it when they have complied sufficiently to the demands made. As I have already stated, unfortunately the demands never get less, only more.
I believe that most people have at least a little bit of OCD in them and it will more likely come out in some form of preference for things being a certain way or being done in a particular fashion or it won't feel right. Personally I don't suffer from OCD and I am very fortunate but as an example of what I mean, I do have a strong preference for all the books in my bookcases to be lined up to the front edge and ranging in size left to right. The difference is, whilst it is a strong preference it wouldn't be the end of the world if my family moved them, as they frequently do, but for a victim they simply would not be able to rest until everything was the way it is supposed to be. Other examples for some non sufferers maybe hanging on to items that are no longer used or wanted but keeping them "just in case". Another illustration might be feeling a bit anxious and too frequently checking that we have the passports or tickets on the way to the airport or theatre. Generally when we are anxious about something important to us we might feel the need to be extra cautious or alert but normally they are very temporary conditions from which we move on from quickly and unharmed.
Whilst every sufferer of this condition has a unique set of symptoms and responses to OCD and the rituals performed, they can be considered very individualised and can be created out of any situation whatsoever, at the same time there are many similarities and common themes running through them all that can be clearly identified. Behind every victim of OCD there will be diagnosed some form of anxiety about an aspect of their lives that triggered off their journey to being a victim of the condition. It is a nasty vicious circle of being anxious, making some kind of mental deal to perform some ritual frequently enough to allay the anxiety, but all the time not really having any real control over it.
Compulsions to do Rituals in order to feel less anxious
This becomes a vicious circle for the victim because by performing the rituals there is a temporary relief and this sends a message to the subconscious mind that this works, and therefore ensures the hold becomes even stronger for the victim. Even if victims try to give up one ritual, almost immediately another one or two takes its place, and sadly the list just keeps growing over time. The reality is that compliance is never enough and OCD gradually demands more and more from it's victims and without professional intervention can only get worse.Various Categories of Compulsions and Obsessions
Compulsions to do rituals in order to feel less anxious, safer etc. Constantly changing, expanding and adding even more rituals to the list as time goes on, in a fruitless attempt to feel safe and less anxious. The problem is having done the rituals the victim does get some temporary relief from their suffering and this perpetuates the belief that it has to be done. Sadly it never goes away on it's own and without treatment will get worse.Obsessions with Health
Regardless of any medical evidence to back it up their fears the OCD victims in this category do experience intense worries and concerns that maybe a life threatening disease is developing in them or their loved ones. No amount of verbal reassurances will make any difference as they can only believe what they "feel" to be true, very scary for the sufferers.
Obsessions with Order and Symmetry
This particular obsession drives the OCD victims to have a powerful need for things to be in a particular order or layout, striving for things to be placed symmetrically or in some way "perfect". The intense fear behind this is if objects are not placed in this perfect way then something detrimental will happen to their loved ones. If challenged the OCD sufferers would find it very uncomfortable to explain what would happen to their loved ones, because to them it is too scary to even think about, they just "know" it would be bad.For partners or loved ones of those suffering with this type of obsession it seems totally illogical and bizarre that the way objects are positioned could have any effect to what happens to them. If the objects are disturbed from the perfect positioning this can cause the distress of OCD victims to become incredibly intense and scary.
Obsession with Contamination
This is another nasty one for the victims who live in perpetual fear of being contaminated in some way, this results in them relentlessly cleaning themselves or their surroundings. OCD sufferers have been known to wash their hands for such long periods, even hours sometimes, in an attempt to "feel clean", it is not unusual to end up with permanently sore hands. Endless hours can be spent in Obsessions with Checking, Counting things and Repeating some actions. Once again it is the suffering of intense feelings of insecurity and intense anxiety that drives OCD victims to do repeated counting and checking or repeat certain tasks. Sometimes it can be for a specific number of times but mostly until it just "feels right". Some OCD sufferers have a fixation about odd or even numbers and this can add to the days toll when simple tasks not planned for also have to be repeated.
Pure Obsessional
"Pure O" as it is commonly referred to, is yet another particularly nasty and traumatic form of OCD for its sufferers who are overwhelmed with intrusive and horrible images of them inflicting damage on others. The harm inflicted that is visualised by the OCD victims would normally be of a sexual or violent nature, but regardless of whatever it is, it would be something of a completely abhorrent idea to them and certainly something they would never in reality ever consider doing.
The images are so vivid and repulsive, it is easy to understand why this torment is so distressing to them, the real problem is because those thoughts came from their own mind there is a mistaken belief that it must be what they are planning to do. Nothing could be further from the truth and victims need to know that there is no recorded evidence whatsoever that an OCD sufferer has ever carried out those thoughts or ever acted upon it in any way.