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Why Do Some People Develop Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
As the child of a man whose acute Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is the dominant force in his life, and consequently, having grown up in a very unnatural, controlled environment, when deciding on a top for this paper, I dared to delve into the enigmatic world of mental illness. I thought writing on this disorder would be both interesting and would help unlock the secret behind my father’s abnormal behavior. It would also help me understand why, up until now, I have exhibited only mild symptoms of this condition, and if the disorder is in fact hereditary, what this means for me in the future. In order to answer these questions, an in depth examination of the disease is needed.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is one of many anxiety disorders, mental conditions that result in chronic fear and uncertainty in the victims’ minds. Anxiety disorders plague 40 million American adults, while OCD alone affects 2.2 million Americans (1). If anxiety disorders are left untreated, which they often are, symptoms can become increasingly worse. People with OCD experience persistent upsetting thoughts or worries (obsessions) and use rituals or repetitive behaviors (compulsions) to relieve their anxiety (2). OCD patients often experience repeated thoughts and images where they feel out of control and may even worry that they have harmed another person (3). Depending on the person’s fears, OCD can manifest itself in different ways. The most common symptom is an obsession with germs or dirt that results in repeated hand washing. Paranoia about intruders can lead to locking and relocking of doors and windows. Other common signs include repeatedly checking things, counting things, doing things in a particular order, or hoarding and refusing to dispose of old possessions. However, a person with OCD doesn’t necessarily have to partake in any of these rituals. In the most extreme cases of OCD, victims are unable to attend to their responsibilities and perform the tasks of daily life because they are so preoccupied with their rituals. What makes OCD so unique is that, according to studies, people with the disorder do not get pleasure out of doing these rituals; they carry out these actions to placate their anxiety (3).
It’s interesting for me to read what all the medical journals and online sources say about OCD because I can imagine my father performing the described rituals in my head as I read. However, his case is one of the extreme ones that is more difficult for doctors to understand. For example, my father follows a very strict regime everyday, doing everything in the same exact order; any interference with his daily routine will send him into a state of shock. If a person interrupts him while he’s going through his routine, he becomes very angry, agitated, and uncomfortable. He prefers to be alone as much as possible and lives on an isolated farm, where he has minimal contact with other people. OCD and clinical depression often go hand-in-hand, so it is likely that my father’s antisocial behavior is partly due to depression. My father, interestingly, does not exhibit many of the typical symptoms of OCD, such as frequent bathing and hand washing, or a need to constantly count things in a certain order. However, he does hoard possessions and hasn’t thrown out anything in about 30 years. It is easy to see how OCD can be misdiagnosed since many of its symptoms are characteristic of other mental illnesses; it’s taken me my entire life to figure out what exactly makes my father behave the way he does.
How can someone with OCD be treated? According to the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation, OCD is “underdiagnosed” and “undertreated” because many doctors are unfamiliar with the symptoms of the illness (3). No laboratory test exists for this disorder . Moreover, people with OCD often have trouble admitting that they have extreme anxiety or are unaware that their behavior is abnormal (3). However, if someone is diagnosed with OCD, several different methods of treatment can be implemented. The first is Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy through the use of a technique called Exposure and Ritual Prevention, where individuals gradually overcome their fears and learn that they do not need to perform certain rituals. The second method of treatment involves taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) along with tricyclic antidepressants. Studies show that OCD is usually the result of communication problems between the orbital cortex and the basal ganglia, two parts of the brain that rely on the chemical messenger serotonin to transmit signals. With the help of SSRIs, the serotonin is able to bind to the neurons’ receptors so it can help regulate excess anxiety and obsessive thoughts. Studies show that, “SSRIs seem to be the most effective drug treatments for OCD, and help about 60% of OCD patients, but do not ‘cure’ OCD” (2). In other words, medications that increase one’s serotonin levels can address the symptoms of OCD, but can’t make the disorder go away. Although the use of SSRIs or Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy seems to be an effective treatment for OCD, from doing research on this topic, it is clear to me that much about the disease is still unknown.
Why do some people develop this disease and not others? Is it genetic? Does the disease run in families? In my case, I wonder: Why did my dad develop this condition and not me? Will I acquire OCD in the future? Up until recently no specific genes for OCD had been identified, but scientists were looking for a link between genetics and OCD (3). However, two recent studies on the association between genes and OCD have illuminated a possible cause of the disease: a glutamate transporter gene called SLC1A1. This gene encodes a protein called EAAC1, which controls the flow of glutamate in and out of brain cells. According to an article in HealthDay News, “Variation in the SLC1A1 gene may cause changes in the flow of glutamate, which may put a person at increased risk of developing OCD” (4). The identification of the SLC1A1 gene marks a milestone in the search for the cause of OCD. If the close relationship between this gene and OCD is confirmed, dramatic improvements in the understanding and treatment of OCD can be made (4). With regard to the heredity of OCD, research shows that OCD does tend to run in families, though family members often times develop different symptoms from the disease (3). According to the HealthDay News article, “Close relatives of people with OCD are up to nine times more likely than other people to develop OCD” (4). Clearly, heredity plays an important role in the development of OCD. In my case, the fact that such a close relative of mine has OCD greatly increases my chances of getting it. Because symptoms can emerge at any time between age 3 and 40, I still have more than twenty years in which I am likely to develop the disorder (3).
Researching and writing this paper has helped elucidate a lot for me about Obsessive-Compulsive disorder. However, it has also made it apparent that much more research about this disease needs to be done before a foolproof method of prevention and treatment can be obtained. As of right now, scientists have only made ripples in the vast, dark ocean of mental illness, and nothing has been confirmed about the cause of OCD. I hope, for my own sake and for the sake of the millions of Americans who either have OCD or will be afflicted with it in the future, that the isolation of the SLC1A1 gene for OCD will lead to great strides in the study and treatment of this disorder.
World Wide Web Sources
1) http://www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/ocdmenu.cfm The National Institute of Mental Health’s website with a special section on OCD
2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive-compulsive_disorder A Wikipedia Encyclopedia article, “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.”
3) http://www.ocfoundation.org/ The Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation website with a discussion of OCD
4) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/new/fullstory_36909.html A HealthDay News article entitled, “Genetic Findings Shed Light on OCD.”
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| This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. |
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Comments
Have you checked out
Have you checked out PANS/PANDAS? It is misunderstood/undiagnosed by doctors....their first reaction can be psychiatric drugs. Please look it up...my 4 year old nephew has it. Great supportive sites on Facebook, too.
Hi Cindy
Thanks Cindy! I will look into that!
Was he aggressive before the
Was he aggressive before the prosac? I would say if its not side effects from the prosac. It's a temperament thing especially at that age. I can tell you from my experience (28) y.o. now and have had OCD since about the age of 10. I was more sensitive in all of my senses, Maybe not everyone is this way but in my case I always had a quick temper. Lets face it no one wants someone to blow and spit into their face but I would be the first to react in rage if I were in the same position, while someone with out a quick temper would just get verbally mad eventually calm down I would keep going until I tired myself out.
Definitely get it checked out by someone who is more qualified/licensed but don't let them force drugs at such a young age (our youth are over drugged). OCD is typically treated with therapy. In my case I slowly learned the coping mechanisms required to combat its negative effects on me. While I still am not totally cured I can still live a functional life.
Also finding ways to vent like a punching bag or something to distract him while hes in that mode of thinking will be a life saver.
I hope for the best to you and your son, Good luck. :)
Hi
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my comment. My son has always been a loving , and kind hearted boy, he still is, but since his OCD has gotten severe, he has become aggressive and angry. We found out he got OCD when it has already became severe, this last August when he turned 13. Before he was put on the Prozac, and we didn't know about the severity of his OCD, he would go into this really angry and aggressive state, even wanted to committed suicide. This is when I took him into the emergency, they kept him in the psychiatric ward, and gave him Prozac for the first time. So Yes, he was aggressive and angry before the Prozac, but it has gotten worse.
Only two days ago, he was so angry that he put two holes into the walls. His dad and I sat him down after he was calm down and told him we are going to take him to a mental Institute soon. The Institute is about 3 hours from our City. So he knows we will not be able to see him often. He apologized to us and begged us not to take him there , and promise to never break up the house again. We have a big tree in the back yard, his dad told him he can go punch the tree if he is angry. So my husband got him to write us a promise Note. And stated in the note that it was his last chance we are giving him. So we will see how that goes.
Also my husband does not believe in drugs also, but my son does not want to go to the Therapist. because he does not want to talk about his OCD. This Friday the doctor is changing the Prozac to another drug. We want to give him the benefit of the doubt, because he wants to try new drug, so if this new drug does not work, then he will have no choice but to work harder to over come his rituals or go back to the therapist.
I am the sister of someone with extreme OCD
Imy sister began showing signs of OCD at age 12. She is now 32 and each year her OCD seems to get worse. She is moody, gets angry easily and depressed. I love her and want her to be able to live a normal life...one she isn't able to live now. She has seen over 20 different doctors, has been in brain studies and has gone to treatment centers all over the US. That being said she has show no improvement. She has been on and off Prozac since she was 12. I just want my lobbing happy sister back. Anyone know of any success stories with overcoming OCD?
OCD
Hi. I'm sorry to hear that your sister hasn't been able to find an effective treatment. Has she tried cognitive behavioral therapy? My psychologist used that treatment and I felt better. That worked for me and honestly I am living a much freer life and rarely have to contend with my OCD like I used to. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you not feel anxious when thinking about or encountering your triggers by essentially numbing you to them. You are encouraged to think about worst case scenarious ( or mildly scary/mediumly scary scenarios) until your anxiety subsides. After all a person can not stay at top level anxiety forever and once your anxiety lessens while thinking of a scary scenario or thought you have formed a more positive, less scary association with that thought. It can take a few weeks to a few months though. It differs from person to person and level of anxiety. Hope this can help! Best of luck!
Hi
I feel very sorry for your sister. My boy not only gets angry, but he breaks things in our house and make holes in the walls and doors.
The doctor is changing his Prozac on Friday to a different drug. So presently we are weaning him off the Prozac. Did she try any other drugs? We do not know if it is the OCD causing him all this anger for him to actually break up things, he recently broke his DS3 into to halves, after quarreling with his brother. We will see how this new drug works. Did you sister going to a Therapist? My boy does not want to go, because he does not want to talk about his OCD, he is doing lots more rituals now, we can live with his OCD and symptoms, and rituals, and even his anger, but the braking up of things we don't know what to do about that any more. Does any one have or know someone that break things up in their anger that have OCD. Is this a normal thing to expect?
Prozac
Hello,
I would get your son to a psych practitioner or psychiatrist ASAP! Not the same one who prescribed the Prozac. Children on antidepressants can be high risk for suicide and aggressive behaviors. Sounds like something else is going on. These medications have a Black Box warnings on them pertaining to children. Pills are not the only answer and I hope you will get him the right help he needs.
OCD
You really should get him back to the doctors and have him re-evaluated and possibly the meds readjusted. My sister had a difficult time with her son was he was a teenager getting him on the right meds. She had some of them that made her son violent at times. He was angry a lot and she had to really work with the doctor until they found some meds that balanced him and worked for him. She kept going back until they were able to get it adjusted right. It took almost a year until they got him on medications that helped him. She was vigilant.
Hi
Thanks for replying back to my comment. I am taking him to the doctor tomorrow and see what she will do.
Germs
My grandaughter is 12years old and checks cutlery plates and many other things that they are clean, I think she may need help some way.
Please help.
Jeanne
Asperger's Syndrome : )
Sounds like you have Asperger's Syndrome. My kids are Autistic and I have Asperger's Syndrome so I know a LOT about the Autism Spectrum. Over Sensitivity to Tactile touch and other things going on. Just a thought!!
My son
My son twenty-five years old he has autism . He has the OCD also witch has put him world wind. He get upset beats up people . Hits wall throws things . What's you to repeat idem he wants over and over. He still get angry even if he gets what he wants or not. He stated this at 19 . He is none verbal so no one here can't treat him except with meds. That don't work please help us he use to be so loving enjoyed life. Loving mom!!!
Sensory Integration Disorder
I have two Autistic children with Sensory Integration Disorder. I as well have it. My oldest has Sensory Integration Disorder badly. Hypo and Hyper sensitivity to 7 Sensories. Seeking Sensory input and it being overwhelming to him. I know a lot about it. The two extra are Propriocepication and Vestibular. Dealing with your other Sensories. Autistic children's life revolve around this. Stimming and self Stimming to release energy when Hypo Sensitivity occurs. SPD is a part of my kids life greatly!! There is a big difference between Sensory Processing Disorder and OCD. I know a lot so any questions, and happy to help!!! :) xx
cannot see the sun
i have a niece who develops a disorder at the age of 6.the problem is that she cannot at all support the rays of sun on her face,not the slightest.she rubs her hands on her face continuously without stopping,once she did it for long and she fainted and vomitted after that.what more intrigued is that she is left handed but she does this act with right hand.she is nearly 9 years now and not a day passed by she didnt stop doing this obsessive act.her mom has to let the window curtains on in order to prevent the sun rays in entering the rooms of the house.she several times excretes and pee in her pants as she doesnt have control on herself while doing this.please help my sister who is very depressed about her daughter and needs your help.she even had a head scan ,but doctor found nothing wrong in her results.blood test ok.she stopped doing it only when the sun goes down.
Parvez who commented about a niece and sun rays
Are you sure it is an OCD behavior and not a Sensory Integration Disorder?
Omg...
This helped a lot, Iam a 15 year old and I'm trying to convince my mum to seek help, she won't listen to me, instead she tells over the top of me.
This first all started 9 years ago, mum had bad experiences with her relationships. Se was slowly developing paranoia. Every single guy she dated she'd blame him and say that he had been drugging her food and drink and she couldn't sleep properly. I and my sister had to move a lot of times because she though we were being followed by her ex, and she thought the local people were calling her abusive names and following her back home.Her paranoia got worse and she started blaming family members and thinking that they were involved in this so she moved overseas away from all our family and friends. This made a big impact on my and my 12 year old sister's life. At first we had no where to live so she applies for houses and looked for new jobs, in the meantime we slept in hotels and that was okay, but mum was running short on cash, so we had to sleep in the car; just before we mined overseas she use to talk to herself abit and I thought it was weird but it stopped, then one morning in our new country I woke up to mum putting the blanket inbetween my legs, I asked what she was doing and she said someone's hiding in the car and trying to sexually touch us and rape us; this made me very sick, it was about lunch time that day and she started talking to herself and swearing thinking that someone had put some device in her ears so they could talk to her and we couldn't hear them. This lasted for more than a week, it was getting more worse each day she was talking non stop, swearing non stop, crying non stop, it was hard to get any sleep. The next day we all woke up and she was sick of hearing the voices and she wanted to report her ex following her, so she visited the police station, as soon as she told them they knew something was wrong with her, so they took her to the hospital and me and my sister were being looked after by some random we didn't even know. A few days later we went to check up on mum to see how she was doing, at first I though maybe it worked but she was still going on about it so they kept her in longer. Our grandparents flew overseas and took us back to the country in which we were raised in, luckily my mum had recovered and she was on medication. Me and my sister didn't like it at first but we were so happy we could live a normal life like most kids. Mum rented a new house with the help of our family and they helped her buy a new car. A few months had passed and we were attending my old school. Me and my sister had our own rooms and life was great and relaxing, until my mum got a new job. Jobs just depress and stress her out too much, I didn't expect it to happen but she became paranoid again, at first I thought it wasn't real I couldn't believe it but she was going on about someone hanging around and entering our house again, I'm trying to tell her to get some help but he just won't listen, my grandparents are trying to help her out too and they rang a doctor for her and she stormed out of te house and drove home, she was meant to pick us up from school that day but she never did. Shes telling me that she's disappointed in me and my sister for not supporting her. She's recording noises on her iPhone and showing them to me, she said the noise are loud and you can hear guys in our house talking and waking around, I went to listen to the recording and all I could hear was her walk out of the house, the recording sounded static like then she came back in the house. She reckons I'm deaf and I have problems if I can't hear them. I just don't know what to do; I really hope she takes the recordings and tries to report to the police like she's saying she will because they are the only hope I have... There's soo much more to this, worser things that I haven't mentioned. I'm fed up... :( help me
This is a good one
This is a good one
Counseling for your Mom
Hello Anonimus, I read your post and am very sorry that you are suffering from the symptoms of your mother's mental illness. Your mom needs counseling. I think she needs to be diagnosed right away. I am a graduate student in mental health counseling. I am not in the position to diagnose, however, the symptoms you have expressed sound a lot like paranoid schizophrenia or a personality disorder which are both treatable medically and in psychotherapy. If there is an adult, your general physician or school nurse, you can talk to that would be helpful for you. They can help your mother get the help she needs. I am so sorry you have this emotional load on your shoulders. The main thing is for you to do some good self-care for yourself and find a professional or school counselor even to talk to about these problems. Take care.
Read your story about your mother
Hi, I have read your story and really feel for you. It is not easy living with someone who has a mental challenge and especially someone who doesn't admit that there is something wrong. It is a big burden for someone who is as young as you. I am 33 and my 37 year old brother has OCD as well as about 6 personality disorders.. mainly obsessional ones. He began to make our lives absolutely intolerable about 5 years ago with his ridiculous obsessions about germs, refusing to touch anything, constantly washing his hands etc... that was just ONE of the disturbing behaviours. I ended up doing research on line to find a centre, its a kind of a hospital but decorated more like a hotel, that treats people like him. Its definitely a chemical imbalance in the brain which is what your mother has. It is not her fault but it IS something that medication and therapy can dramatically improve. You have to start by telling her that she NEEDS to admit she has a problem and she needs to see a therapist and start taking medication. Make an appointment for her. Tell her that if she loves you she will talk to this person and let this person determine if there is something wrong and if medication will help. Make her promise to take the medication. This usually works with most people.... in my case it didn't I had to take a more dramatic step. I went to a centre that treats people with mental challenges and asked for my brother to be admitted. They said there are 2 ways of being admitted... either he comes on his own or he is "sectioned". I don't know where in the world you are so I don't know what term you use in your country but it means the you are officially under the care of the government. The hospital in that case can force you to stay there, take medication and do therapy to get better. This is only happen if they deem her a threat to herself or to others. If she has ever tried to hurt you, they can section her. In the case where your mother would choose to go on her own, she would have to check herself in and follow all instructions and pay for everything. Maybe you can ask people in your family to help pay. This is what we did and he has improved a lot. He ended up going on his own and staying for a few months. These centres help people very much. they are all over the world. Google your city name and "mental disorder". It sounds like your mother has either schizophrenia which is much more common than you think and CAN be treated or she has a personality disorder like schizotypal personality disorder. If I were you I would read about both on line. I know its a dramatic suggestion but you could call a centre and tell them she tried to hurt herself or you even if its not true. She will deny it but you will have to stick by your story. This is a time to be strong. IF your mother does not listen to you and go on her own initiative you should consider taking this step because in the long run it will help her a lot. She may not even stay for a long time but as long as she is taking medication and is having therapy she will improve and you can have a normal life again. Best of luck and remember this behaviour is not her choice but seeking treatment IS. She has to understand how much this means to you.
When your mom was in the
When your mom was in the hospital was she diagnosed with some type of psychotic disorder. The disorders that can cause psychosis which it seems like your mom is experiencing could be schizophrenia, severe mood episodes in bipolar 1 disorder, schizoaffective disorder(which is schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) and substance abuse, particulary methamphetamine or cocaine use. I'm diagnosed with bipolar disorder and when my moods not stable i hear voices and at times have had time where i thought the government was putting thoughts in my head that weren't mine through drinking water bottles. I've also been very paranoid at times and stayed up all night looking out my window to check that people weren't spying on me. Is your mom on an antipsychotic? those will really help psychosis and can get her back to normal.
obsessive compulsive personality disorder treatment
Thank you for sharing this post. A mental disorder or psychiatric disorder is a psychological pattern or anomaly, potentially reflected in behavior, that is generally associated with distress or disability, and which is not considered part of normal development in a person's culture.
I've been battling HOCD for
I've been battling HOCD for about 3 years. I didn't get diagnosed with OCD until about a month a go(which i'm relieved) because i thought i was in some gay denial when i know i wasn't gay and it caused me such bad anxiety. Recently though I've developed all kinds of sexual themes in OCD, where incest is involved, pedophilia and there all intrusive thoughts and images. I have Pure-O so my rituals and compulsions are all done in my head where i do complex thought blocking and will destroy the images and i will repeat words like bipolar disorder over and over again. I have bipolar disorder comorbid too. I'm sure every kind of OCD is terrible and i feel bad for everyone who has it, but i feel like sexual themes get too people so badly just because sex is such an important role in human nature. I also found out that my kind of OCD themes are pretty common affecting about a quarter of people with OCD so i'm glad i'm not alone. I wouldn't wish this disorder upon my greatest enemy. my bipolar disorder is pretty bad too because i have psychotic features and have had really bad suicidal thoughts at times, especially in mixed episodes but bipolar disorder is easier to treat with meds and my mood has been pretty stable for the last 2 months. OCD is chronic and my SSRI hasn't fully kicked in yet. I do plan on going to therapy though because i'm sure that will be the only way to manage my life. Also with the HOCD theme i also have nothing against gay people but the thought of myself being gay gave me such bad anxiety that i thought i was going to have to live with this forever when i love girls and find them attractive. Word of wisdom would be if your having doubts about your sexuality and you get intrusive thoughts and images please go seek help because you might have OCD. It's not fair to live a life that your not supposed to live especially when it affects your identity and gay people are gay from the start. If this occurs randomly out of know where when your 18 years old like it did to me then you are not homosexual. You just have to get help and i'm sure this disorder goes that same way for gay people thinking there straight. Get help and i don't care what sexual orientation you are. Don't live like this and also you don't want to live with intrusive incest thoughts. Those can be extremely distressing especially when you see your mom and dad everyday. good luck to all of you with OCD
thoughts...
I'm glad to have found this site.
When my grandmother died (I was 8) my grandfather became OCD (my grandmother never was). My mother is OCD and now I am too.
I tend to hoarde old belongings and check and recheck stuff. I also have a certain "number" of how many times to check things. I also have other tendencies that are clearly OCD but are too strange to even explain.
I can't speak for my grandfather, but for me, one of the reasons I am OCD is because I have had a lot of unlucky things happen to me that have caused me great depression. Somehow I feel I f I check things a certain amount of times I'm "paying my dues" and nothing bad will happen. I know it sounds crazy but by certain coincidences, on the days I tried to kick the habit and just stop, bad things HAVE happened and I feel responsible. My mother is OCD in different ways then me s I'm not sure hw I developed this certain set of symptoms.
I remember becoming this way the same time as my grandfather. My grandmother had cancer and my grandpa would make me wash my hands 100 times a day if I touched any of her things (after she had died). The room she died in he never slept in again. The door had to stand ajar. I couldn't open it all the way or close itwithout him correcting me. As I get older, I'm getting worse with more and more conditions I live with daily. Its getting out of control :(
cure for ocd
Some OCD sufferers exhibit what is known as overvalued ideas. In such cases, the person with OCD will truly be uncertain whether the fears that cause them to perform their compulsions are irrational or not. After some discussion, it is possible to convince the individual that their fears may be unfounded. Thank you for sharing.
obc symptoms
i knw hv OBC bcoz i hv all symptoms of obc.but there is smthng strange whn i do grt wrk i feel nt happy i dont want to be unique i dont know y??
is this also obs's symptoms???
OCD
You need Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to control the OCD compulsions you are doing. Without it, you may regress. I out my compulsions onto my husband too and it's not fair to him. You need to go get help!! :)
i need help
Im 26. I have a 6yr old boy and a 5moth old boy. I have a man in my life I've known 21 yrs now. And I think I have a problem. A serious problem, I had some serious issues as a child with my father. Then a couple yrs ago my mom started telling me to lock doors and make sure I keep things clean... we fought about it all the time. It got to the point to where I don't let ppl touch my son. I spray disinfectant on everything anywhere from 2 to 5 times a day cuz I don't want him to get sick... even on all the clothes I washed and dryes seconds before hand. Lock doors cuz theres bad ppl in the neighborhood. Now im paranoid. Lock doors and check them over and over again. Then I asked and sometimes beg the love of my life to check them too. Most of the times he does it and even after he sees me do it then go around the house and check all locks. When he don't do something that I feel that would logiclly be safe for our family I pick a huge fight and we don't talk I stress then I mentally fall far.... I stay at home everyday now and clean the dishes have to be done, the sink has to be empty and DRY, as soon as I get up in the am I have to make the bed before getting dressed, then all day it goes... it just hit me reading this how bad its consuming my life. I was working at a retailer store as a cashier and I promise I never stole a dime or penny never stole any money but id cover some one and they'd leave the drawer what I called a mess. The money was always out of order. Never facing the same way. I had to stop everytime to fix it, not becuz I was asked to but I couldn't deal with it otherwise. I really need to spend time with my family. What doo I do besides clean my house and lock things and live and be happy like I was before I got worse since I had my second child??????
OCD
Actually if you only have repetitive or intrusive thoughts repeating and cycling that it causes stress, that would only be mild OCD. It's still not severe enough to make you compulse. And "checking" is only one of several other conclusions people can do. Severe OCD you need to do the act to lessen the Anxiety and if not, Aniety increases. Compulsions is the only way to servive to many who are severe. With people who only have repetitive thoughts, it much more easier to get rid of through Cognative Behavioural Therapy. The severe like me, asign compulsions to others and everyone around you gets affected. This is much more complicated. So a repetive thought might be OCD but its mild and can easily be helped if you decide to get it. :)
Depression and unwanted thoughts
I am so desperate for help, About 5 weeks ago I received news that a man I was semi involved with was diagnosed with cancer and only has weeks to live. I initially felt sad for him but the truth is I blamed myself for the involvement I had with him in the beginning but seriously didn't want to pursue it. I liked the attention more than liking or fancying him. I am a married woman with grandchildren whom I love dearly but with the depression and the intrusive thoughts of this man is everywhere I go I can't enjoy my life, don't eat, sleep or function as the thoughts are everywhere I go and everything I think of. I am on Fluoxetine 20 mg per day together with 3 Buspirone per day for the past 4 weeks and still being pestered mentally. I can't do anything without seeing this man's face and situations I was in with him, even to the extent it's as if he is always looking at me. . I very much believe in God and have been praying fervently and am constantly trying to switch this man's image to Jesus but it is very hard work. My husband and family have been very supportive but they are at the end of their tether. I have everything in the world to live for. I contemplated suicide, God forgive Me but truly didn't want to go through with it. Would increase in serotonin help do you think as i have a similar experience a few years ago and the thoughts I had completely disappeared but because of this they have resurfaced too.
i feel deeply depressed more often
I am a 23 year old girl. 2 years of intense frustration I feel depressed and bored. from 10 months ago also no_confidence have been added . in public i cant talk,enjoy,feel confortable anymore .i truely feel my mouth gets lock_ . Before that in public I was so cheerful. very good events no longer makes me happy .'s discomfort as he is in my mind. today I feel fine and next for 4 days i feel deeply sad and depressd again. determination've been like 0. though you may help. heard fluoxetine vitality it is anti-depression., if I could use it, could i stop using that without complications after a while ?
For the person asking about checking things.
Sounds like OCD. Being a "checker OCD". It's the Anxiety to feel the need to re check even though you already did. Your mind erases and you do it again to reassure yourself. If you don't do the compulsion, the Anxiety heightens as this is a Anxiety Spectrum Disorder, and you think horrible thought till you do. It's like a teeter totter. One end is low being the Anxiety because you are doing compulsions. Not doing compulsions, it changes and Anxiety goes high and compulsions teeter low. It's always in your head no matter how much therapy you do but it may help or meds can help. Hope I helped. :)
is this O C D
Hello,
I have a habbit of rechecking all the important things.
I re-check my door lock 4-5 times and then also feel unsure.
While doing online recharges, i feel unsure of the mobile no. i added.
whenever i carry good amount of money in my wallet... i check it several times.... sometimes i stop my bike & recheck my wallet, whether its sill in my pocket or not...
i have saved my bank account no. in my mobile contacts, still everytime i refer to my bank passbook for that...
i remember my license no., satellite tv no., my broadband no., and lots of other things by heart... but still i dont feel sure when i have to use them & refer to orignal documents....
Are these symptoms of OCD ???
To the Person "could this be OCD?"
It sounds like Generalized Anxiety Disorder. You have a general constant worry for things. If there's no obsession and compulsions, it's not OCD. A person can have fear that seems to be obsession but still Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is usually with many others Disorders like Panic Disorder or others on the Anxiety Spectrum Disorder. Go to a doctor for help if it intrudes your life. I have many Anxiety Spectrum Disorders and its no fun.
That is NOT true. Many people
That is NOT true. Many people with OCD do not have any compulsive actions but, many have racing looped thoughts that they cannot escape or stop. They don't do the "checking" thing but, cannot stop the intrusive looped and disturbing thought pattern. It IS OCD when this happens.
OCD
OCD is an Anxiety Disorder in the brain you usually get from birth. It's not from childhood but you can get it from a trauma event that happened and that can be from childhood or any time of your life. A person posted about trying to get over OCD and their Obsessions are about Anxieties. It's an Anxiety based Disorder. So if you have OCD, you can obsess about fear based things. If you are born with OCD and many are, you won't get over it. Therapy helps to control it. The thoughts remains there for life. Trauma based OCD can go away through therapy because it was never there in the first place. With no help it can stay and you can regress. I put in a older post I have Asperger's, OCD and many other Disorders with two Autistic children with OCD. It's a big part of my life! :)
Comes and goes.
I've been dealing with HOCD since my sophomore year of high school. It's been three years. First year, it was pretty classic questions that come with HOCD but I never had a panic attack. After I got my first job the summer after 10th grade, the HOCD started to fade away, and I started to develop intense crushes on these guys, and felt like myself again (I'm a girl). Even when I went on vacation, I was NOT constantly obsessing about my HOCD. It was as if I could completely forget about the thoughts and my mind was just a clean slate. It was awesome. It was very weak my junior year, but still was there. Yet I felt like I could control it more. Summer after that year, I genuinely felt like it was gone. I liked this older guy and he seemed to like me, the attraction was there, and I felt free, relaxed, happy, and untainted from intrusive thoughts. Senior year starts, and things were fine until the third month of my 12th grade year, when I closed my eyes and an intrusive thought of my friend came in my head. It freaked me out, like it wasn't a bad thought but I was just like, why did I just think of my friend? The thought did not mean anything, obviously, but my OCD attacked it and twisted it into something it was not. I had a full on panic attack that night, shaking and could not sleep. I felt awful the next day and it's been off and on ever since. I just wish I knew how to make this OCD go away on call. Clearly I have had it for awhile since I used to obsess about other things as a child, like when I was 7 I feared I was the only person who existed and everyone else was a figment of my imagination. At 10, I obsessed over the apocolypse and the end of the world. At 14, I obsessed over the fact of getting AIDS. Also, after my freshman year of high school, I had TERRIBLE suicidal OCD. Genuinely paralyzing, ruining my summer fears. It was bad. I got over that. But now, it's this HOCD. Trying to forget about it and just deal with it seems to be the only solution as of now.
OCD
OCD isn't something that you can lessen by saying everyone has "bad thoughts" or breathing checking. No, not everyone has these things or it would be a disorder. That's lessening the true disorder. OCD is an Anxiety Disorder and yeah people with OCD worry if they have that because of fear of dying if suddenly their problems got worse due to a traumatic event. Bad thoughts are from OCD. My Autistic children have OCD and me. We have bad thoughts. A normal person can develop OCD due to trauma but these problems are not normal.
Do i have HOCD?
Hello everyone,
I have come today with a matter that scares me. Let me first start off saying I am 17 going on 18 next month. Always liked girls my whole life, almost loved a few, had no doubt about my sexuality, no questions at all. Okay this started a month ago, a fellow co-employee questioned my sexually because I didn't "get a haircut" and it was too long. I said no but a couple days later I started questioning myself asking myself am I gay? I was like NO! instantly I knew was not homo sexually but my head kept going asking and i keep arguing with it, it scary because there was points were i was almost convincing myself that i was but it didn't feel right because I don't look at guys in that way and it bothered me.
By the start of 2013, I woke up felt nothing thought it was gone but instantly later that day at work I felt it again coming up to ask me. During my hold break i looked up if i was in gay-denial or if had signs of being gay. I never had a girlfriend and i am a virgin, i kissed a girl, madeout with them (the very first time i got my first kiss i called up my best buds and we all celebrated. But through my research i discovered HOCD, it seemed like i had alot of symptoms that followed that but wasn't to sure i always discover OT, and about being confused. But these questions really drained me from doing alot like hanging out with friends or playing video games it will shattered me. Then i started questioning "am i attracted to her" and i fear i was losing my attraction to girls. My whole teenager years I always talked about having a wife and kids, but then i questioned it but i dont want to be with a guy.
So school starts back up, i told my parents and my brothers, they are supportive of me. My parents believe this is cause of my co-employee, i don't really care about that but i care about the problem at hand. So my dad go see the school's psychologist. I went to talk to him, he said do i find guys attractive, i instantly said no, after i visit him in the morning. He called me back down afternoon time and said i have this other teacher that runs this gay program would you like to seek him about this problem, i told him yes so i can get answers. A little bit later i started panic cause the gay questions came back into my head and i was having alot of anxiety about it so i asked my teacher to visit him again so i visit and he told this "If you don't like men, then you probably don't". It was like a gift and curse that line because i also read about men coming out later in life. But it also told me Be who you are and of course i be because i like girls so i follow that. At the point i wanted to see outside help.
The next day i see the guy who runs the gay club and we have a nice talk he tells me right now im confused and to just enjoy life. It makes me feel alot better. These questions keep coming the few couples days some not as scary and some might be alot i tell my dad i want to see a professional outside of school. One week passes and i see her and we talked and she told me i was going to a phase were alot of choices have to be made, she says im at a age were teens usually question myself. See ask if i wanted to see her again i tell her i know im going to feel better i was completely honest cause i feel like im going to make it through this. I always been a panicy person so even after i visit the professional i still questioning myself.
Up until this exact day, I like this girl currently thought she was cute before all of this happen i want to get in a relationship with her but my questions kill me and make me question these feelings for her. Even another girl try to like i didn't find her attractive try to keep hitting me up and i was like no i don't like you like that then my head says this is why your gay hmm. I tell it to shut up. So now i make my stand right here i want answers. I want to be in a relationship, my first relationship.
But im scared if i might actually be gay and hurt her and then i said no i'm not gay i will not hurt her. the questions can make me feel weird at times may make me just want to be lazy but i know thats due to anxiety and sometimes if gets bad i might lose attraction to girls but sometimes when i watching a video or movie my head goes you find him attractive, or when im hanging out with my friend it goes you wanna kiss him? I tell it no back off, i really dont find men attractive when i see a good looking girl walk in the room my eyes just follow a dude walks in the room and i shrug my shoulders. But its scaring that my head is doing this too me. Then i started thinking to myself how long does confusion actually last? Do I have HOCD? Do I have OT? Cause i know im not gay i rather not even put am i in gay denial. But when i think about HOCD it scares me that i have a brain disorder, i always had bad luck, i am always a nice person though, always happy but this is bringing me down man. Its sick in my head i want to get through this so it can be over. I don't want to even consider suicide because i dont wanna be a coward or even die. But my head wonders about it and im like no. I get happy from time to time about girls but then questions that will kick in to ruin it.
Then when i think about HOCD i get scared because i have to go to therapy for a long time, im scared of medication because im afraid that it will make me suicidal and not happy because thats what happens when you take OCD medication under 25 years old. The only thing i want is to get through this (I know i will) and live my life and get a girlfriend but as we speak this questions are in my head my thoughts wont leave me alone. Im begging for aanswer do i have HOCD or is that time in age, if is how long is this going to last? Any help or tips would be helpful :) But i know im going to get through this and hoping that this just a stump its scaring but you have to face your fears right? :D
Looks like ocd. Ocd people
Looks like ocd. Ocd people tend to analyse themselves and others a great deal. It would be best to see a phyciatrist because they can work with you in cognitive behavoural theropy. They can also educate you about ocd, and perscribe any medicines if need be. But your right, you do have to face your fears. I was afraid to seek treatment for a very long time. Now i would never go back to the way it was. And im very glad i had a friend to convince me to be treated.
I am having a different
I am having a different situation here, symptoms started when i was11 years old, that was the worst stage,i started talking rubbish and everything was meaningless ,bt what happened was my mother punished me with stick, atlast i stopped talking like that, bt gradually other symptoms began to appear,death fear,repeat counting,checking,thinking i did something wrong etc etc,,,but even in the worst i worked hard and was class topper,,,,,then intensity of symptoms started decreasing,, everything was like gone ,now i am 23 years old,one and half years back i got my engineering degree,then the pblm slowly started,now i am in deep trouble,i got a bike 3 years ago,now hit and run ocd has started some 6months ago,,now i am unable to ride bike,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,so what i am concluding is i am 99 percent or more normal when i am with someone else except my mother because she know i am having ocd,,, bt i cannot enjoy if i am alonee,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,am i curableee, since i am normal when i am with someone,plss helpp suggest somethinggggg plsssssss
Sounds like ocd. Ocd gets
Sounds like ocd. Ocd gets worse with stress. Yes you can be helped. It would be best to see a medical doctor, perferably a phyciatrist that specializes in ocd. They should be able to test you for anyother health conditions, and give you cognitive behavioural therapy, and if needed, medicine.
OCD
True OCD is not from food. Most is genetic and is a life long suffering Disorder! I have heard of diets improving disorders like OCD
And Autism but for most it just does not work! I have had OCD all my life and have had great dieting life style many times that never helped.
Having Thereapy is best to help and being educated on the Disorder helps!! OCD is like an addiction or being an alcoholic. You always have it in your head.
It doesn't mean you allow it to take over you but it's always there. Also OCD is an Anxiety Disorder. Some are saying the have lots of Anxiety. Anxiety and OCD
run together. Getting help can manage the Disorder, improve your life, and others around that may have to deal with your Disorder. I'm trying to get help myself. I posted earlier. I have Asperger's, OCD, Panic Disorder, ADHD, and others. My life certainly is impacted and with me for life but it's what we do about
it to manage our symptoms. For some meds help. :) Therepy is best I think. :) Nothing is masking the problems and you are dealing with the problems. :)
Gosh i like you're post,
Gosh i like you're post, mustbe because we have simular minds lol;) i have ocd, pd, adhd, and more. Even ben told i was borderline aspergers. Ive delt with it for a very long time before a friend of mine convinced me to get help. And i tell you what, it was a struggle to find the right treatment, but it really is amazing now that i understand my illnesses and have the right medicines:]
Hi Nice to meet another like
Hi
Nice to meet another like me! :)
OCD
I had OCD starting around 11 years old. It was really bad and included a high amount of anxiety. I experienced OCD until age 35 or so. I spent many years trying to figure out the cause. My conclusion is that it is digestive related and possibly tied to food allergies and food intolerances or an issue with the digestive process. Get tested for food allergies and omit milk and wheat products from your diet. Very important! - Purchase a supplement called l-glutamine from a health food store. The tablet form seems to work best (I use Jarrow brand). L-glutamine seems to buffer the digestive problems and the OCD goes away after a week of use. I have not experienced OCD for the last 20 years as long as I watch what I eat and take l-glutamine daily. Please let me know if this works for you as well. It is an amazing feeling once the OCD subsides. I have tried to relay this information to doctors but they do not pay attention to what I have to say... Try this and please respond. This works for me and I hope it also relieves the struggle many of you are going through.
L glutamine ocd
Hi, is the l-glutamine still working for your ocd? I’m gonna give this a try. I’ve been trying for many years as well to find some relief but no luck. How many mg’s do you take? Do you still use Jarrow brand? Thanks!
l-glutamine
Hello, how much l-glutamine do you take each day?
Have you always taken the same amount? I'm very interested in trying this along with a clean diet (gluten/dairy/sugar free)
Thank you and have a lovely day :)
Glutamine
I think its the Glutamine's effects on the brain that is helping. Glutamine crosses the blood-brain barrier and becomes Glutamic Acid which can then becomes GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) which is a brain calming amino acid. Taking Vitamin B6 with Glutamine will convert more of the Glutamic Acid to GABA. I took 50mg B6 with a 500mg tablet of Glutamine and my brain came to a standstill...nice and calm but not good if you have a social event/public speaking engagement coming up ;) So I now only take 500mg - 1000mg Glutamine alone with glass of water or juice, away from food as taking it with food reduces the amount of Glutamine available for the brain. As you said its also good for the digestive tract, liver....and the brain also uses it for fuel when sugar levels are low - helps with focus too but its not a stimulant. Sleep improvement too...
OH. And the thoughts. The
OH. And the thoughts. The thoughts that are basically images of "what if I did this horrible thing to this person?" I was holding my baby cousin - whom I love and adore - and all of a sudden I got this horrid thought, "what if I dropped him on his head?" I went to church Christmas Eve with my family, and there were candles that everyone lit right before singing the final song ("Silent Night"). There was a girl with long brown hair in front of me, my age or younger, and I just thought "what if I set her hair on fire?" Stuff like that. It horrifies me and I'd never do these things, but it's like I can't keep myself from thinking these things. They just slam into my brain.