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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
You sound just like me! Do
You sound just like me! Do you also suffer from bipolar? I got the wonderful gift of having OCD & bipolar. How do you help yourself when you get anxiety about death or loved ones dying?
reply: OCD is chronic...awesome :/
Right now im am looking for things that i have symptoms of and i am the exact same as what you just described, but without the anorexia (i sometime think i should but i dont know if i could because i know how bad it can be) and treatment... i am only 16 but could i have OCD? the only thing i would add is with the things i keep on me because i fear not having them with me will cause bad things to happen, if other people touch them i freak out... im in class right now and the teacher touched one and i just freaked (inside, i tried not to show it) i almost started bawling but i held it in mostly. I started distracting myself by google searching things that i might have.
if you think you have ocd you
if you think you have ocd you should get a therapist fast. i had ocd for about a year and once i got a therapist it helped within a month and its almost gone! you will get help if you tell your therapist all your problems and your therapist will help you get over it.
Its not the end of the world.
I was diagnosed with OCD three years after my mom got remarried. The level of stress, when every one was home, made me hid in my room, and I only came out of my room for dinner. One night at the dinner table, I came to my seat and placed my hands on top of the table, forgetting about my bloody knuckles. It was then when she made me go see a therapist. She has been helping me cope in better ways about the divorce, about school, about my self confidence. I was very depressed and was always stressed and anxious. I thought it would be the end of the world when i was diagnosed; as if my life was going to be nothing but a lifestyle of repetition and depression. None the less, I worked for 4 years to help constrain myself from impulsive, antisocial, and obsessive action. With the right mixture of medicine and three times a month for counseling, things have been getting better. The road to help may seem impossible, but to stay positive and proactive, there is a way to restrain your impulses, and finally be happy and free from the "routines". There is hope.
OCD
Hi I'm 20 and ever since I was about 7/8 I have experienced a great discomfort with people eating around me the anger I feel inside is terrorble, it started off with just the normal horrible sound of chewing and mouth smacking and now I can't look at people be near some one or nothing, I automatically hate someone if I see them eating, I had counselling but it was rubbish I take tablets for anxiety and OCD but I find it dosnt control my OCD it just kinda controls my tempr and crazy mood swings. Also I can not stand the sound of breathing, I have to have my fan on so I don't hear my boyfriend breathing it's awful and sometimes I feel like it puts pressure on our relationship. When I get on the train or bus I have to have me I pod in and close my eyes and if someone sits next to me I have to check that they are not chewing, if I don't then I automatically think they are AAARGHH!!
I havnt heard of anyone with this sort of OCD before, and I feel alone cos most people have some sort of cleaning one, mines wiered
Girl.
OCD reply...
I am 36 n I also can't b around ppl when their eating (I don't like that I can hear the food in my own mouth squishing around, gag me ugh), especially if they're smacking their trap. Talking with food in their mouth literally repulses me, makes my skin crawl. Also can't handle someone breathing.. I don't like 2 hear myself breathe.. god help me if someone has a cold & won't stop snifflin... Sniffles McGee I call that; I'm rude about it tho.. go blow ur damn nose already! Or when someones coughing all nasty. Fml.. I can't stand the sound of someone digging away in any kind of bag, the crinkle-ing of the bag :'( chips, cookies, popcorn--doesn't matter.. f*ck! I can't stand when I myself has 2 get something outta a bag.. common sense should tell these ppl jus 2 pour the stuff in a bowl already!! Oh! The sound of someone typing gets me too.. or someone smacking their gum, but not jus that.. chewing n popping these mini bubbles that don't exist.. it makes me wanna cry! I plug my ears & hum, yea.. when I was getting diagnosed (taking those tests to find out what all is wrong with u.. @ counselor or psychiatrist) they wanted me 2 tryn read the questions n stuff, actually comprehend it when some lady was crackling away.. chomp, chomp, chomp on her gum; it physically pained me... I feel that was a test in itself..FAIL! Anyhow, I was diagnosed w/ADHD, anxiety & depression... Once I was takin the correct ADHD meds, my brain FINALLY shut up.. all those things still bug me, I'm jus able 2 deal. P.s. I've slept with a fan on since I got the flu when I was 10, & its something I can't sleep without, I even put one in my kids' room, I figured it'd help them too.. oh, last thing-- I insist on ppl doing everything exactly the way I do it, or I'll end up redoing it myself.. I always haveta fix something.. it sux. I wish I didn't care.. sry such a loong post; I'm kinda messed up fer sure :( I could write a book, kinda already did.. ur not alone, thas 4 sure!! Chin up!
ocd sucks
i used to get like that when i was younger... if my friend chewed with his mouth open i got really pissed off.. or if a dog wopuld sit in fornt of me nd beg for food i couldnt eat.... my ocd had gotten better nd worse... not if i dont pick something up in a certain way im fucked nd m,y brain just gets streesed out which causes bad thoughts......i got rid of this for a month or so... what i did was everytime a bad thought or a ocd though came by i would just tell myself "i dont fuking care anymore"....nd my anxiety levels went way down and it disapeared for sometime... but it was hard at first bc if i said i dont care i felt the need to fix the bad thought.nd my anxiety levels would shoot through the roof but i would just try to relax myself by doing whatever took my mind off it at the time.. my ocd has come back... not so much that it bothers me but enough bad thoughts to make me never want them again... so im going to do this method again... it worked once ill make it happen again...its nice to know that its the disorder making this fuked up shit happen bc if this was normal i wouldnt want to be normal lmao....o nd if anyone tryies this method try live life to the fulliest.... in my sense of the way i love luaghiong so i think almost everything is funny and i luagh a lot.. it helps with the stress too so i have a good life.... i love luaghing nd i love being funny with my firends
This is crazy I have never
This is crazy I have never heard of that before, however I heard people being afraid of balloon and pickles and mustard which I found very disturbing and crazy at same time. But anyway everyone have their own issues in life and fear that they need to overcome. My suggestion is that if this keep continuing you might be a loner for the rest of your life if you don't seek help and put a halt to this as soon as possible it will get worse when you get older especially when you 20 years old now, it could become a real problem in the future for you and the people whom you love that surround you in your everyday life. My advise is to seek help because I don't know or see any other way to treat this issue.
Hypnotherapy for OCD
As a qualified Hypnotherapist I would recommend Hypnotherapy as a treatment for OCD. The links between OCD and anxiety are well documented. What we also need to understand is that when we are in a highly anxious state the part of our mind that ensures our survival kicks into action. When this part of the mind perceives that something is dangerous it will obsess about it, as it is designed to do. This part of the mind has remained essentially unchanged since we lived in caves. If a sabre tooth lion (the object of danger) were sitting outside of your cave you would not want your mind wandering away from this fact, therefore the survival part of your mind would encourage you to obsess about it until the danger had passed. The survival part of our mind, when we are in a highly anxious state does not recognise the difference between real and perceived danger, therefore it will obsess about perceived dangers in the same way it would if a Sabre Tooth Lion were prowling around!
Hypnotherapy lowers anxiety levels to help avoid your mind going into 'survival' mode. With Solution Focused therapy we focus on how you would LIKE to behave and builds on this, whilst using Hypnotherapy to retrain the subconscious (which houses the survival part of the brain) with new patterns of behaviour to follow.
It is a safe and very pleasant treatment and despite common misunderstanding about Hypnosis, you are always aware and in control....the state of Hypnosis is not a dissimilar state to that of daydreaming...your consciuos mind is distracted but you are always able to bring your attention back instantly should the need arise.
Ensure if you are approaching a Hypnotherapist for treatment that they have a full qualification such as Hypnotherapy Practitioners Diploma (HPD) which is recognised by the Open University and that they are a member of a governing body such as National Council for Hypnotheray (NCH) - or the equivalent in your country - which has a strict Code of Ethics and ensures the Hypnotherapist attends regular Supervision. I would also recommend that they are a Solution Focused therapist, as Hypnotherapists trained in this way focus on the future and helping you move towards your preferred future, rather than looking for the root cause of the problem. Hope this helps. Kerri Formoso
Is OCD hereditary?
I chanced to read your article when I was looking up the internet for OCD. As a person who has been suffering under this illness for quite sometime, I could identify with the patterns of behaviour that have been mentioned here. I have worried excessively over certain things, and this has taken a toll on my thinking processes and efficiency in day to day activities. I know I have to come out of this, but it is not being easy. Also, when I got pregnant I was terrified that the child born will suffer like me with OCD, but it turned out that I could not carry my baby because the doctors could hear no heartbeat. I feel terrible and confused. I want to have a baby but dont know whether I will pass on my OCD. I am even thinking up of giving up my marriage because I am sure I am affecting others around me. But I do have hope, and am confident that with some help I will become normal and get back to my pre-OCD days. I welcome suggestions to get over this illness. Thanks.
Do I Have It?
I haven't heard anyone mention this, so I'm asking, is this a form of ocd? This is what I do, when I want something, I get SO FOCUSED I'll spend days or weeks looking into or for whatever it is that I want till I find it. Last time it was a toy poodle, who knows what it will be next. I'm not a hoarder and I have no problem at all getting rid of stuff. It really will consume me though but not to the point that I can't do my house work or go to work. I remember being this way for the first time when I was in the 3rd grade but it may have started before that. I think if this is a form of ocd maybe it's from the way people are raised and not a gene thing. Have they looked into that? In the house I grow up in, my mother was always getting beaten by my dad and he NEVER wanted or had anything to do with me or my younger brother. My older sister and youngest brother were the only ones good enough for him and that was made painfully clear and it's still that way today. So what do you think, do I have ocd?
reread.
reread the article, from what you've mentioned No you dont have ocd. I would still see a therapists for any other issues you may have with your past... as a domestic violence survivor the best advice anyone can give, is get out, take control, and end the cycle!
ocd
no you do not have ocd.
OCD
I have just been told yesterday that i have OCD. I feel like washing my hands every time i touch something and feel like bathing every three hours. I also cant stop checking and doing things more than once like I check if my alarm is set properly about five times every night. What should i do.
I don't have the washing
I don't have the washing problem like many others do, but the alarm clock thing has drove me nuts for years, i just can't stop looking at it, i would be very glad to hear if anyone has a solution to this. The only thing i've thought of doing is getting rid of it and just getting someone who i live with who is up before me to wake me up.
I am a child with OCD
I am 13 and for 3 yrs i hav feared to vomit..... it has ruined my life! what do i do!!???
OCD?
I have been suffering with my thoughts for the past 5 months now. It started when i got ill with my stomach and was diagnosed with HP pilori at the same time i got increased work at my job and got married that same year and my wife moved from a difference state in with me and she did not have any friends or family. I took on the burden when my wife had an issue/disagreement with a family or friend to the extent that i wanted to run away and not look back, i felt like i was the issue all the time that because of me and my friends and my family that it it was constant complaining about this and that. I figured that i would not deal with that crap anymore and tried to not take on everything that she said and lend a blind ear to that. With the increased work from the job and additional stress from home, i thought i had sexual problems and had a few incidents with loosing performance with my wife but i never said anything to her or anyone and went and bought viagra and was using that for for awhile and then it came to the point that i broke down one night and told her about it and that i had felt like having a divorse.. we cried with each other and she said if i wanted a divorce that we should get it but i know i didn't want that... i know my wife means well and loves me very much but i had a failed relationship from years ago that the woman walked out on me and moved in next door with another guy and i loved this woman very much and wanted kids and all with her. It was a shock to me that she did that to me and i never really got over it but also never spoke to anyone about what i was feeling and depressed at the time. I thought if i had a gun i would have killed her but i never would have done that anyway. i realized that in my new marriage which has alot of similarities from my past relationship which she moved in with me and in a new state that i had to find out everything for them and now i caught my myself correcting the mistakes in had made in my previous relationship and not knowing that it was not my fault that she felt but i felt in adaquate and unsure of myself the whole time. I finally spoke to my wife that i was having thoughts of suicide as i thought the marriage was not working out and then those thoughts developed in thoughts of killing her as well. I know they are just thoughts and i am new dealing with this but it makes me feel really bad , stomach cramps, headcahes, on top of that i get very anxious and then i feel sleepy so its alot of emotions i am having to deal with and on top of that she found out that she is pregnant and she is having bad morning sickness so her positive attitude that was helping me is now that i she has to help herself. I am taking 50mg of Zoloft each day for the past 1 month and go to Therapy as i knew for myself the thoughts were not normal and i wanted to deal with them and i also spoke to a good friend about them but their are days i feel like the thoughts are controling me but i know i am aware of what i am doing so dealing with the thoughts and changing them from negative to positive is the hardest thing to do. I check my daily horoscope to see what my day will be like and i stopped reading the newspaper because its all to negative.... i also take Ambien to sleep at night as a had one bad night of sleep and couldn't get these thoughts out of my head as i was always accustomed to be a good sleeper. I go to work and i concentrate for the most part but their are times when my thinking goes on those nasty and horrible thoughts of doing harm to my wife....it really kills me that i have those thoughts.....I have noticed that i am getting better that i speak about my thoughts now and know that i am not the only one with these thoughts...but i just want to get back to my normal life and enjoy everyday of my life with my wife... and i know deep down that she is the best thing for me and my family really likes her as well... I feel sometimes that if i touch my wife that my hands will automatically do something to her... i fear this sometimes....
It's like I could have wrote this word 4 word??
So how are things now?
Can u help me?
I have 10 disorders?!!?!?!
My symptoms are so weird. A loved one committed suicide and since thene everything has been different. I'm in my early 20's and right after he died I was diagnosed with sever depression, and Post traumatic stress. I'm so confused. I think about food constantly, but some days I'll refuse to eat, but other days I'm fine. Some days I'll look in the mirror an yell at myself for being so fat, even though everyone tells me how gorgeous I am, and guys tell me how "hot" I am. But I look in the mirror some days and I'm disgusted, so I wont eat, and I'll work out like crazy. SO on tp of depression and PTD, I KNOW I have an eating disorder. HOWEVER, I have almost ALL of the symptoms everyone with OCD concerns above has named. But is it possible to have depression, PTD, anorexia nervosa AND OCD?????? I have to touch a light switch three times after I shut it off, and if I dont get it right I have to do it all over again, (and if I walk away without doing so I have thoughts of my family members dying if I dont), with that, I have to put bottles down in the shower "just right" and sometimes I will pick up the shampoo and set it down for fifteen mins straight until I feel comfortable moving on. Sometimes when I close bottles, or caps, or doors I have to count in sets of three a million times (with bad thoughts) until I get it right. I have excessive blinking and repeating things, I constantly pray but I have the same prayer I say that makes little sense, and I have to say amen 6 times. I feel so trappd and weird. If anyone caught me doing any of this theyd think Im psychotic. a friend saw me whispering 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, putting a cap on a bottle and she was like "what are u doing!?" I was so embarrassed. It's embarrassing. It really is. It takes so much of my time up that I want to cry sometimes. But on top of that, I cannnnnoootttttttt concentate, I cant study, I cant clean, I cant do anything, I have ZERO focus, and My attention is constantly diverted, and I feel I may have ADHD. But I have OCD, PTD, depression, Anorexia nervosa, ADHD, and ON TOP Of all of that I have anxiety attacks randomly, frequent insomnia attacks, and I ofte fear germs and sometimes clean and clean and clean until I cant clean anything else. Is it possible to have all of these disorders!?!?!?!? It makes me think I have hypocondria!!! But I dont want to tell my psychiatrist all of thisbecause i'm afraid she wont believe me. Im sometimes suicidal, and sometimes SO moody, maybe I bipolar too!?!?!? Im realizing after writing all of this that I REALLY need help. wow. Im psycho. It doesnt help that I have 0 confidence. I noticed that when Im regular with my celexa im not as moody, and i dnt worry about food as much, or my body, and I am not as OCD. But the celexa makes me so tired. I took adderall a few days ago and I really focused on school and I got a lot done, and I didnt worry about anything. It wasnt mine, but I feel like I need it. I have so many problems!!!!! HELP ME!!!
Dial your ten down to three!
Dial your ten down to three! OCD, which is definitely comparable to what you're describing, is an anxiety disorder that can cause panic attacks, and anxiety can cause awful sleeping problems. OCD can often cause someone to have very low self esteem, which is most likely heading your eating disorder, and can cause a lot of frustration and irritability(mood swing central) so thats most likely why you feel you may be bipolar. OCD often inhibits peoples ability to focus, which could lead you to believe you were ADHD, because we can be so focused and preoccupied with our obsessions they consume us and will not allow your brain to work on other things.
My best advice is to get help for your OCD and that will lift you up in all aspects of the problems you are facing. Find a therapists that you feel truly cares about getting you better and then once you get on to helping your OCD you may feel comfortable enough to divuldge any other problems you feel you want help with.
girl i'm the same way!
i have very similar problems that you've listed.
in the sense of possible multiple disorders anyway.
i think i'm adhd, bipolar, anddd ocd. but with that comes depression and anxiety as well as moments of insomnia or even over sleeping ( i have huggeee problems with that which makes me be ocd with alarms and other ways to make sure i'm up and even causes me to be afraid to go to sleep!)i think bad eating habits or even eating disorders can be caused by the anxiety as well.
i'm looking into getting on meds but ive been in denial for a long time and i dont feel like my doctors or psychiatrists etc believe me or when i think they are believing me i dont think they care or if i think they care i think they're stupid and not giving me the proper help and are being slow in helping me which is soooo frustrating and i know im just being a drama queen but i freak out about stuff. and idk i mean i could go on and on and on about my problems and that itself is crazy to me.
has anything improved for you?
too much stuff, too little space
I've been accused of hoarding, but I think I suffer more from a complete inability to organize & prioritize. We've lived in tiny apts since our wedding (about 20 yrs). We keep landing decent working-class jobs that will eventually lead to the house in the 'burbs with the white picket fence. We've had setbacks along the way: student loans changing terms with bank mergers, & layoffs with each bursting economic bubble (corp raids, 90s market, dot-com, real estate, hedges): back to square one.
Meanwhile, we have a room filled floor to ceiling with wedding & Christmas gifts, all moderately valuable (I chuck the cheap crap.), for "when we have a house someday." Every time we move to a new apt, more stuff goes into anonymous boxes, & the storage area grows as we get tired of unpacking or have to return to work. It would be nice to have a guestroom...
So, what's the consensus? ADD? OCD hoarders? Or just too chiken to face the relatives who gave us all this stuff?
OCD?
Lately I have been feeling the need to clean. A lot. it has come to the point where I am cleaning every inch of my room. I am organizing every thing, clothes, DVDS in alphabetical order. And it isn't until I finished with a certain task where I start to feel calmer. I have been noticing when I sit at the lunch table I have to sit int he same seat or else it feels weird I start to fell like everything is changing, then if my friend change their seats , then everything is changing. I have started to use hand sanitizer much more frequently, more then 4 times a day when I finish touching something or touching someone else. And when some else gives me a hug and if i brush up against someone I notice i feel like I need to sanitize just to get rid of the creepy feeling it gives me. apparently I clap a lot more then normal when a talk it is just something I automatically do now, and I do it often. When I am taking a test or note or anything really in school I need to make sure my books are straight and my pencils are straight or anything else on my desk has to straight or else I cant concentrate on the task my mind wonders to what ever is not straight. My friends all tell me I have OCD but I think they are trying to be funny or I don't know but I am really worried they maybe correct I just want someone else opinion who may know more about OCD then what my friends think they know. Tank you in advance!!
Do I need medicine???
I have OCD, m 21 n m so scared if it increases with age.... I pray all the time fearing something will happen to my beloved ones... i do something with numbers 4, 8, 16, 32 and it goes on...I also touch things many times... stop to see things again and agsin... m always scared of being haunted by some thoughts, many other things... and my inteligence level is more than others cuz m in coleg n I dont study evn half as much as my friends do... all these things match but I m starting to control it... Is medication really important...cuz its not available in india... plz tell me if I can just control it with my will power or guidance is needed... cuz otherwise I have a normal routine n I stop it wen i think its hurting me... plz help!!
Slow & Inefficient in my Performance
I am a CA by Profession (Indian CPA), i don't know what exact problem i have,
- As a child i had a great difficulty in learning, i was a very poor performer, unable to focus on study and very been very slow and in deceive. I some how completed my CPA exam
- I am not much sociable & had few friends, i remain in my own dream world (fantasy) away from harsh reality.
- My family member always complaint about me as very slow and inefficient in performing my daily work.
- As a adult now i work in a Audit Firm, but i have found my self very slow & inefficient in my performance. I do one things and again cross check it several time for some thing gone missing, but at the end of the day i miss out many crucial details. I find it really difficult to learn new things.
I have always tried hard to look into the detail what went wrong in my previous Audit Assignment & try to get things fast in subsequent assignment, but things doesn't improve, at the end of the day by quality of work is very work.
- I am finding it really hard now to excel in my career.
Please advice me what can it possible be
Regards,
Amit
do i have ocd?
i want to cut a long story short so hear goes... ive been sleeping on my sofa for over a year now due been so paranoid about any little noise i heard i just didnt feel safe in my bed all ways thinking sum1 will break in while me and my little boy was asleep so started sleeping downstairs with the kitchen light on so if some one was goign to break in they would think sum one was still up and in the event that didnt work id hear them and feel i could protect me and my son even thought about obsticles i could push up against my sons door so they couldnt get to us and as the years past ive gotten worse any little noise i hear my heart beats so fast i feel like im gonna have a heart attack i jump straight up check every room leave all the lights on force myself to stay awake on three occations ive wanted to tape my letter box shut for fear some ones gonna set my house alight and id not b able to get to my son, my family just think im been stupid and laugh but i no this is not normal im to scared to go see a doctor cos i think they will just laugh at me and not b able to help me and its upsetting me now cos i no sumthings wrong with me and i really want some help but dont no what to do im hoping sum one on hear could help me and either tell me ive got it or i havent and if i do i will feel much better about seeing a doctor
You have it.
O.K. first things first. You have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I for one used to suffer from it myself and just became "FREE". But let's not get into that.
I say if your not O.K. with seeing a doctor, which you shouldn't be because you deffinately do have something. Most, MOST likely OCD. But if your not O.K. then before you check all the rooms do something like I don't know look up at god and know he's watching you do that and thinking that your fine. Just know that it;s your condition that;s tellling you to act that way, not because your in danger. Then just know god's is on your side and do it for one night. You'll wake and smile because you know that nothing wanted to harm you in the first place.
Hope this helps.
=)
I'm finally FREE
I have had OCD severly for about 15 years... my biggest symptom was washing my hands.. I couldn't even count on many times a day I washed my hands... worse yet.. if I was somewhere where I couldn't wash my hands and felt the need to I wouldn't use my hands and search frantically for somewhere to wash them.. it was bad.. it completely controlled my life.. I have other symptoms also but not as bad as the handwashing-My hands were always bright red and raw from washing them so much all the way up my wrists- they would crack and bleed.. and hurt-everyone would always comment on them, what's wrong with your hands? In the begining it was hard to get anyone to understand that I washed them all the time, but with all the stuff out now about OCD, I could just tell them I had OCD and at that point it was understood. I suffered with this for about 15 years- I had symptoms before that but it really went full force about 15 years ago-if someone had told me 6 months ago that I could just stop washing my hands, I would have gotten really mad..I didn't want to wash my hands, they hurt, they were red, they bleed, and the stress if I wasn't able to was just unbearable, I did control my life and it was something I couldn't control... I got laid off from my job that I had for 9 years, it went under- and got a new job somewhere else.. this new job was horrible, back stabbers, people trying to make you lose your job, everybody thinks they are smarter than everyone else, etc... I had a really hard time working there and caused me EXTREME stress-I've been there for 4 years now trying so hard to just get through the day... one day I decided to not let them bother me... it was causing me so much stress that I just got to a point that my brain couldn't handle it anymore-after 4 years and I can now say I don't care, I don't care about what they say, I don't care about what they do.. I go to work, I do my job and I go home.. if I lose my job, I lose it, if I keep it, I keep it.. I don't talk to anyone there.. I can honestly say I don't care.. well that did something to me..once I got to the point that I didn't care about work.. I didn't care about anything.. and slowly but surely my handwashing went away, it's like my brain was so overloaded with stress that my brain just finally had to stop and once it did, it stopped anything that caused me stress-it's so weird that extreme stress could actually help my OCD, I actually have to remind myself now to wash my hands... It feels GREAT- I have only noticed it for about a month.. and I'm hoping it continues, -but for now I'm enjoying feeling free
Runs in the family
I'm the youngest child of an OCD mother. I have 2 sisters, a brother and many nieces and nephews, none of which have developed OCD. I do suspect that my nephew is a mild hypochondriac and that perhaps this is an anxiety disorder not unlike OCD. My paternal grandmother and a paternal uncle both suffered from OCD, as well as a cousin on my mother's side. As you mentioned in your article, the disorder manifests itself in various ways. My mother is a compulsive hand-washer. In fact she will wash anything and everything, including money and everything brought home from the grocery store. My grandmother would worry herself sick and had a house that reeked of Lysol. My uncle was a hoarder. My cousin, a perfectionist who sadly committed suicide.
I've often wondered about genetic predisposition.
OCD due to anxiety
It all makes sense! My OCD has gotten worse due to my anxiety. The psychologists weren't helping and the psychiatrists just wanted to put me on pills and to get their money. Nothing was helping and it let my anxiety get worse. I used to have to shave hair off of my body everyday, but I'm now afraid to do that because I am afraid that I'll want the hair back. I know that I don't want the hair at all which is why it doesn't make sense that I'm freaking out! I am afraid to delete things off of my phone/computer or to throw things away. I'm freaking out over everything! I don't know what to do anymore.
obsessive compulsive disorder
wat kind of married life can a OCD have? if the person is fine now, then can such a person have a normal married life?
"...restraining my breath..",
"...restraining my breath..", "..making this gulping noise in the back of my throat...", "...rapid and uncontrollable blinking..."
I do all of those things. I've been doing that blinking thing since I was about six and people always ask me what's wrong and why I keep blinking like that. I tried to explain to my mom about the gulping noise that I make in the back of my throat, but it was impossible to try to explain that to someone who doesn't do it. I also restrain my breath like that and I've tried to stop it, but I just can't.
I also feel like I'm dirty all the time, like my face and hair is greasy even if I just got out of the shower. I have to take a shower twice a day, once when I get up and then a few hours later. I can't stand even feeling a little bit dirty.
And, I have to have everything in a certain place, no matter what it is. If something just doesn't feel right to me, I have to change it until it's perfect.
I told the doctor about it, but he just says that I'm depressed. I don't really ever feel depressed, so I don't see where he got that from.
I'm only fifteen years old, so I don't really know what I'm supposed to do. I told my mom what was happening and she just said, "Well, it sounds like you have OCD", but she won't do anything about it.
She used to be OCD (and still kind of is), so she should understand.
I've been put on an antidepressant (Citalopram "Celexa") and Lorazepam "Ativan".
I quit taking the Celexa (even though the doctor told me not to quit taking it), because it made me feel like a zombie, I only wanted to sleep, and it made me feel just generally worse. I only take the Ativan when I'm going to be around people or when I'm nervous, because it makes me really tired.
I don't know what to do. :/
i know what your going
i know what your going through. I've had OCD for 2 years now. It was controlling my life, having to check everything twice, i was going crazy until my mom finally brought me to the doctors. I'm now on medication and it is helping tremendously.
My child's situation
Dear Expert,
We are very worried and in anxiety about my 9-year old boy's situation. He has the following symptoms. Is he in disorder you describe and what are solutions? His study is lagging behind bad.
Chin
* He cannot focus well or sit quietly (at least observed at home);
* He spends quite some time on study/homework; but the efficiency is low;
* He is very easily distracted and disturbed by environment;
* His reading comprehension is poor though he does read and seems to have ok speed;
* His handwriting is slow; he spends a lot of time repeating writing-erasing-writing-erasing actions, which slow down and also affect coordination between writing and thinking;
* He spends a lot of time washing hands over and over again (he would not touch anything once showered or before going to bed—a kind of phenomenon of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?);
* His thinking is simple and straightforward compared to his age or his sister at his age;
* He lacks confidence and has fears in public without parents close by;
* He is not sociable and does not make friends with peers (he however makes more friends with younger ones and talks fine even with adults and strangers.);
I was exactly like this.
I was exactly like this. reading this is like reading all the things mom used to worry about. if I can be of any help I can say that while I acted like this it was mostly because I was confused by my surroundings. Look at the bigger picture. what is going on in the family, something might be upsetting him perhaps a divorce or any type of family conflict. The thing I wish my mom would have done for me when I went through that Is that I wish she would have sat down and talked to me, and tried to lift my confidence. She would get so frustrated when I couldnt understand simple math problems and she would yell or spank me. I had all F's. but the cause is something deep that the child himself might not even understand. lift his confidence, most of all never show any negativity around him. the fears and insecurities of adults always have a great influence on the kid. when the family turmoil ended in my family my ocd calmed down and I started doing tremendously well in school like I was a new person.
living with ocd
I am 19 years old
I have had ocd for as long as I can remember
it started around age 2 with sniffing soft blankets I kept a blanket and had to sniff when I felt anxious.
19 years later I am sitting in front of the computer and next to me ...a blankie I can't stop
I was in a coma two years ago and when I woke up the habit seemed to go away but it came back later
I just can't control it. Its very embarrassing my family is embarrassed by it as well. It's something no one ever
wants to talk about.
It was worse around the ages 8-9. my parents had separated and I was sent to live with some relatives.
I stayed up late at night jumping cracks on the floor because if i didnt I felt my soul was going to hell.
I became suicidal I thought about stabbing myself and I would pick up sharp things and poke myself in all the places I would stab if i tried to kill myself. It was a nightmare. I was 8 years old and I'd pay a 100 hail marys a 100 creeds and 100 our fathers so I wouldnt burn in hell every night.
I overcame that stage but sometimes it tries to come back.
My only ocd habit left is the sniffing its not a big problem except that I have sensitive skin and the friction discolorates my skin.
I also had a habit of picking at my skin and tweezing for at least 2 hours everyday. I was successful in stopping that habit with no medications.
dont blame your child for this.
dear sir i want to say that first of all please dont blame your child for what he is not being able to do.its not his fault its ocd that is distubing him i myself has been an sufferer of ocd i have seen a lot due to that and i am still on medicines.go to a qualified doctor and get him treated don't delay it.the more u delay the more worst it will get i hope everything will be fine..
Possible OCD?
I'm uncertain whether or not I have OCD, and if it is, it's very mild. After some initial research, I find I fall into the compulsive ordering and arranging group; thankfully this doesn't apply to a lot of things in my life, only when I see things liked mixed candies (Oh, my Halloween bucket was fun), or packets of different kinds of sweetener all jumbled together. I also feel the need to arrange things by color and size and number- I organize a bag of skittles by color, then reduce them until I have the same amount in each color, then arrange them in recurring patterns, going in size from smallest to largest, which I have to eat in that order.
These tendencies don't really bother me, as they consume very little time and I find I enjoy doing them- a pleasant diversion from my day- but my concern stems from the level of anxiety I feel when my ritual is interrupted, or when the organization I have done is messed up. I can feel my heart rate increase, and I either have to fix it, or force myself to walk away (in which case, I spend the next two hours thinking about it). I've always had little tendencies like this, but it is my understanding that most people do as well- just not that they have a physical reaction when their 'thing' is disturbed.
Can OCD develop out of nowhere? As far as I know, none of my family members have anything like this, and I'm afraid of wasting my time seeing a doctor only to have them tell me that I am normal. I'm doing fine now, with no lifestyle interruptions, but I have noticed it getting worse.
Geez, I would like the thank
Geez, I would like the thank the top writer for their vote of confidence in their father, and how they put up with their father's 'mental illness. Whatev. If this were a mental illness ocd sufferers would be flapping their arms and talking to the wall. Thank your lucky stars your father had ocd rather than antisocial personality disorder. OCD usually starts early twenties or youth. 40 is a stretch, but could happen I guess. Just work on the ocd and it will get better. It can easily get better if you work on it with behavior modification. You lived without it, so remember how you were before you got it, and start living life like that again. Most people with ocd hide it, and they try not to let it disrupt the lives of the ones they love. Peoplw with ocd are not mentally ill, hun, so don't go stereotyping them or we'll have to call your cruelty plane antisocial. Most people with ocd are highly intelligent and caring individuals, and you are lucky you have a father with ocd. I would take a father who worries over one who doesnt give a flip or who beats me, any day.
Breathing, tapping, blowing and generally going crazy!! :(
I am a 40 year old and have suffered OCD since i was four years old when one day I just randomly started saying "Sorry" to everything I accidently touched or brushed against as i was walking past. This later developed into rapid and uncontrollable blinking and at seven the blinking stopped but I had to keep making this gulping noise in the back of my throat. Oh Jeese, it's taken so many crazy forms but my latest is restraining my breath (not for long periods but in a kind of weird, spasmodic way) and I have to tap things nine times but in three sets of three, everytime I get the word "Cancer" in my head, which is pretty frquent I have to say.
I don't want to give my name as I would hate for anybody I know to find out I'm an OCD sufferer. I have just read THIS ENTIRE THREAD!!! and have found it to be SO helpful and, in many ways reassuring.
Ok, so I just got back from a stressful weekend with my family (I always feel unhinged around my family) but this weekend was particulally stressful. On the train I started having mild anxiety. I was also hung-over. tired and stressed and that nasty little cocktail resulted in a full-blown attack of jumbled, racing, weird, random and totally strange thoughts. This awful symptom first started when i turned onto cannabis at 11 years old (Damn that drug, I blame it for SO many things!!!) Anyway, the racing thought thing kind of quitened down a LOT when I quit cannabis at 18 years olf and got even more stable in my tywenties when the drug was finally out of my system. But it occaisionally comes back if I'm stressed and it is no fun being trapped on a speeding train for four hours and not even being allowed to have a cigarette!!!
Suffice to say that the second I got home I cracked open a bottle of wine (NOT a healthy choice I know) and I logged on and entered "Weird, intrusive thoughts" into Google and have just spent three hours feeling SO sad for people who get all this annoying crap but, also quite releived to finally know that I am NOT alone, in fact FAR from it.
I thank the creator of this thread from the depth of my soul and have written down a whole bunch of tips and book titles and.... am feeling remarkably sane as i sit here and write you, my brothers and sisters of this condition.
I send my deepest love and prayers for your excellent health and happieness, forever!!!
regarding your symptoms...
regarding your symptoms... you truly are not alone...
"...and I have to tap things nine times but in three sets of three, everytime I get the word "Cancer" in my head, which is pretty frequent I have to say...." this is very similar to what I have experienced for years... the rituals vary, but close enough... "the word 'Cancer'"... when I read that, I said to myself, "wow, it's mot just me..." And the dialog gets worse and worse if allowed... to the point of feeling like a "villain" of sorts because the word can get associated to people you care about etc... these symptoms vary for everyone with ocd, but it's all the same thing, basically.
I understand.
I had to grow up with my father and he suffered from OCD too. ( I was a child at the time so I didn't know that until after researching it now) After I moved out when I turned 18, I always shrugged it off as him being bi-polar. I'm sure he has that too! One key thing I remember that triggered it, is the same symptoms you described. Having glasses or cups in the cupboard a certain way, or his clothes and shoes all organized (to the extreme, of course) He was a religious as well and would pray while making repetative movements with his hands. (Uncommon to traditional standards of the religion.)
He was extremely sensitive to insults and was very narcissistic as well. It was if he had to prove that his life was structured and ordered based upon his material possessions. He was extremely controlling.
On a positive note, he was also genius. He was a brilliant and educated architect. As much as I feared his emotional abuse, and sometimes physical, I respected his work. He had alot of talents, he was just socially awkward and extremely uncompassionate and selfish. It's a shame he destroyed alot of confidence in other people around him. It's one thing to have a disorder that already bears enough stress on friends in family, but to bring them down too is very unfair.
i have had OCD since i was 6
I was currently looking into OCD as i think it may be what i have now.
I have had it all my life but with different things...such as when i was 6 i had to wash my hands all the time to the point where my hands were just dry and brittle like i could barely move them...this then moved onto the fact i would fear hurting people i was a genuine worry wart. I couldnt touch someone without thinking they were going to die...once at skl class party i accidently moved someones chair as they sat down i ended up going home sick...and the fear they were going to die because of it. I then went through the stage where i used excessive amounts of toilet paper...and i mean EXCESSIVE...i think OCD left for a while or i cant remember anything significant...and then i started getting paranoid about leaving doors open or appliances on i would go inside up to 3 times to make sure. I still have this problem and now have to put the end of the power cord into my leg for 5 seconds...i started picking at my head since i was about 14 now im 20 and now i am picking behind my right ear to the point its full of puss....
maybe its just me but i think it might be time i get some help...
OCD and PANDAS
PANDAS: a link between strep throat and OCD.
Well, I came here looking
Well, I came here looking for some answers for my son's OCD and anxiety disorder and I must say I feel ten times worse. I would like you all to know that my son has a learning disability called NLD which can lead to anxiety disorders later in the teen years as well as depression.
This mother bashing and blaming on here is NOT helpful nor is it true in every situation. We are good parents, my son was not smothered or ignored. We've been told in all his growing up years by doctors and teachers alike exactly that over the years. No parents are perfect but, I do believe we have been very loving and "connected"
This is really discouraging reading these comments. This IS a family issue, everyone suffers and I"d ten times rather have this disorder myself than to have to watch my child suffer this way.
Thanks for all the judgmental blaming comments on here. I as a family member with a loved one with OCD and anxiety disorder truly appreciate your "answers" and support.
And to the last person who posted...sweetie PLEASE tell your parents, or even a teacher. My son opened up to me about the racing thoughts he had which he was really afraid were sooo bad he couldn't repeat them, I think he felt some better after we talked. Now he will tell me any of the thoughts, knowing he is not abnormal...they are JUST thoughts...it's okay to get help from those who love you.
Hi - I feel that the posts on
Hi - I feel that the posts on this sit have not been accusatory to mums and very well-balanced.
I had OCD from the age of 6. At the age of 24 I decided that enough was enough and just used my will power to stop all the checking - it was hard but I havent suffered since. However my 16 year old son now has OCD even though I was cured by the time I had him. It breaks my heart. OCD is such a terrible affliction.:(
hey ive olso in sufferin wiv
hey ive olso in sufferin wiv dis ocd ting...it started wen i ws 12...i olways keep on counting tings repeatedly...if i touch tings with my ryt hand..den i hd to touch it wiv my left hand too..if i did nt den i wud feel so uncomfortable...or i wud feel dat sumting bad will happen to me or my family..i hate odd numbers..if i touch sumting 3tyms..i hv to touch it again to make it 4...if i do not..den i fear dat sumting bad will happen to me...but one ting is dat my parents do not know about this..i cant tell them..i will feel embarassed and like a mad person..i am now 14...its bin 2yrs now..and its killing me...i behave very normal outside..in front of people..bt dis ocd is killing me inside..i keep repeating words silently in my mind...wen dis ting happened to me..i thought i was mad...but den wen i read abt ocd..i even felt more hurt..cos dey say its a mental illness...i dono wat to do to make it go away..ders no way i can tell my parents...so can u guys help me out...ive kind of stopped doing the rituals bt i still follow it in a way..i need help guys!! plsssss
Why do some people develop OCD
Tell your parents you need a doctor's appointment and tell the doctor. This is nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of people have this disorder. I am a pharmacist so I know there are new medications that can treat this and other methods. Your parents would want you to get the help you need.
You're parents love you
You're parents love you unconditionally. They will only want to be there for you and help you with this. I think you should tell them.
Hi!
My OCD started when I was nearly 7 and about to go to school.
I remember my first symptoms were pretty simple: I couldn't eat the whole cookie, because I had the feeling that if I did, something bad would happen. I also used to wash my hands a lot.
My symptoms soon disappeared, but when I was going on the last year in middle school, they started again. I had strange fears, like that I had forgotten the door open and so on.
Now I'm 20. These days most of my obsessions are about praying. My family's a bit religious, and I am often afraid that if I do or say something mean God will punish me.
Then I need to pray several times and can't stop. If I think about something "inappropriate" during the prayer I have to start to pray all over again. This can take ages! I get the feeling that I need to pray all the time (in my mind) or else something will happen. I hate going to bed because I know it'll take so much time because of my praying rituals. I also have mean thoughts about God, which makes me feel guilty, even if I know myself I don't mean them.
I've been on anti-depressant (Fevarin) for about 5 years now and it has helped but I still can't stop performing these rituals. I've seen several psychologists and realized that talking really helps.
Hang in there guys! Try not to give in!
-Girl, 20, Finland