What is OCD?
What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?
Although most of us recognize Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as frequent hand washing, it is much more than that. Typically, a little anxiety is a good thing – it is the knowledge that keeps us from harm. For someone with OCD, the brain warns of danger, but very badly. Persistent, upsetting thoughts (obsessions) and use of rituals (compulsions) control the anxiety these thoughts produce. In turn, the rituals usually end up controlling the obsessions. Perfoming the rituals is not pleasurable, and at best, they produce temporary relief from the anxiety created by the thoughts.
For example, if someone with OCD is concerned about intruders in their home, they may lock and relock their doors many times before going to bed. While the typical person might do the same, they would be able to go to bed, content that the door was locked. An OCD sufferer might have to check the door multiple times for the next few hours to convince themselves that it was really locked. Even though the person with OCD is aware that their thoughts are irrational, they are unable to control them.
Other common rituals include the need to repeatedly check or count things, often in a certain sequence. Common obsessions include frequent thoughts of violence or being preoccupied with order and symmetry.
Who is affected?
According to the OC Foundation’s website, 1 in 40 adults and one in 200 children suffer from OCD at some point in their lives. This means that at any one time in the United States, at least 5 million people are experiencing the symptoms of OCD. It is the fourth most common neuropsychiatric illness in the country.
Did you know?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, a depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely “pull themselves together” and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years.
Although most of us recognize Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as frequent hand washing, it is much more than that. Typically, a little anxiety is a good thing – it is the knowledge that keeps us from harm. For someone with OCD, the brain warns of danger, but very badly. Persistent, upsetting thoughts (obsessions) and use of rituals (compulsions) control the anxiety these thoughts produce. In turn, the rituals usually end up controlling the obsessions. Perfoming the rituals is not pleasurable, and at best, they produce temporary relief from the anxiety created by the thoughts.
For example, if someone with OCD is concerned about intruders in their home, they may lock and relock their doors many times before going to bed. While the typical person might do the same, they would be able to go to bed, content that the door was locked. An OCD sufferer might have to check the door multiple times for the next few hours to convince themselves that it was really locked. Even though the person with OCD is aware that their thoughts are irrational, they are unable to control them.
Other common rituals include the need to repeatedly check or count things, often in a certain sequence. Common obsessions include frequent thoughts of violence or being preoccupied with order and symmetry.
To understand the seriousness of mental health issues, consider the following statistics. According to the Center for Disease Control, suicide was the eleventh leading cause of death for all ages and in 2005, more than 32,000 suicides occurred in the United States. This is the equivalent of 89 suicides per day or 1 suicide every 16 minutes. It is estimated that there is one suicide completed for every 100-200 attempts. Clearly, this demonstrates a desperate need to educate the public and to research treatment and prevention options.