![]() ![]() Additionally, OCD may lead to avoidance of certain objects or situations (e.g., dirt, leaving the house so as to avoid locking doors), thereby adding to life disruption. Since many individuals with OCD have more than one type of obsession and associated ritual, much of the day may be taken up by the performance of such rituals. Also, unless the ritual has been performed perfectly, the individual may find it necessary to keep repeating the ritual many times over. While the most common rituals are washing or checking, other rituals may include such things as counting, arranging, or doing things in a specific and rigid order.Īlthough rituals are performed so as to alleviate anxiety or discomfort, the anxiety relief is usually short-lived. Or another individual may repeatedly imagine his or her house burning down thus triggering checking rituals of all electrical or gas appliances. For example, an individual may have the thought “my hands are dirty” thus triggering washing rituals. The rituals are usually associated with obsessional thoughts. This discomfort can be temporarily relieved by the performance of the specific rituals. ![]() If the compulsions are strong the individual may experience anxiety and extreme discomfort. Many individuals with OCD also experience persistent and uncontrollable compulsions or urges to perform certain behaviours (rituals). Such thoughts and images are very distressing and may result in extreme discomfort. The thoughts may also involve images or scenes that enter the individual’s head. These thoughts are recognised as being generated within the individual’s own mind and not inserted from without (as in `thought insertion’ in schizophrenia). These obsessional thoughts are usually concerned with contamination, harm to self or others, disasters, blasphemy, violence, sex, or other distressing topics. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterised by persistent, intrusive, unwanted thoughts that the individual finds difficult to control. Drugs reduce the power of the obsession and so makes them easier to resist, but recovery really means being able to think about the obsession without anxiety and drugs do not achieve this. ![]() The key to treatment is to have them face their fears and by not carrying out the nullifying behavior, find that the obsession has no substance. People with obsessive compulsive disorder complain of repetitive and irrational worrying thoughts and of having to gain ease by carrying out behaviors to nullify the risk that the thoughts might come true. Save & Exit Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Editions in Australia, Canada, China, Italy, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Pages 271-276 from the Management of Mental Disorders, published by World Health Organization, Sydney. ![]()
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