Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – Symptoms and Causes

“I like my room clean, Do I have OCD?” 

OCD: An Introduction

World Health Organisation (WHO) states that OCD falls in the ranking of top 10 most disabling illnesses. Does this mean we are trying to scare you here? No. The reason behind sharing statistics is to share that it is common. Also concern, shame or stigma should not stop you from saying it out loud and seeking the right support.

The onset can be in the early childhood, teenage years or young adulthood. Its impact on an individual’s functioning and its categorization as a psychological ailment depends on its level of severity and comorbidity with other health challenges. Before we dive deeper, let us first see in simple terms what actually is obsessive traits vs obsessive compulsive disorder.

‘I like my room clean, I have OCD’, said a friend. But the friend can carry on with his everyday life events if the things are a little messy for a while or a day or two. Now does the friend suffer from OCD?

Before moving further let’s understand what happens in OCD. It features a pattern of recurring and persistent unwanted thoughts, impulses, ideas, urges, images, sensations termed as obsessions that feel outside of a person’s control. These obsessive patterns could lead to uncomfortable emotions of distress, disgust, uncertainty, doubt, anxiety and fear. In order to suppress these emotions, when the individual does repetitive behaviors (like washing, organizing, inspections etc), rituals or mental acts (like counting, chanting, reiterating statements etc) termed as compulsions, it leads to temporary relief from those obsessions. Which in future becomes a reinforcement of negative behaviors, making these compulsions take over everyday normal routine. 

So our friend above would not have been suffering with obsessive traits whereby using reasoning and logic, the room could stay messy for a while. OCD becomes a cause of concern and psychological disorder when an individual loses his/her ability to use reasoning or logic but gets stuck in the vicious cycle, making the normal routine impossible or very difficult without compulsive actions.  

A simpler diagrammatic representation of OCD cycle showing how the severity level increases if interventions do not take place.

The question again arises whether people with OCD only get involved in compulsive acts? As mentioned earlier, some individuals might indulge into few compulsive acts like arranging things in a particular order whenever possible because they like to see things in a particular order as a part of their personality trait but would not torture themselves or experience immense stress for the same. On the other hand, people with OCD believe that those acts/rituals are absolutely necessary to reduce negative consequences or escape anxiety while the obsessions are active and seemingly control their lives.

Causes of OCD

Some of the common causes of OCD are:

· Genetic or Family History – A history or genetic disposition makes an individual more susceptible to having a disorder from triggers causing distress. Just like a few physiological disorders, OCD may also be carried from generation to generation.

· Comorbidity – Sometimes the prevalence of depression or anxiety or a few other psychological disorders exposes an individual to fall prey into the cycle of OCD on pretext of temporary relief.

· Biological – The neural pathways and body’s own natural chemistry also pave the way to developing OCD. Studies are still being conducted to prove the same.

· Observational Learning – Obsessive Fears and Compulsive acts can be seen and learned from the external environment. There is a possibility of a child learning these compulsions from a significant other.  

· Cultural factor – Distorted beliefs may trigger distress, maintain and reinforce symptoms associated with OCD.

Is OCD Treatable?

OCD can be managed, just like any other medical illness (such as diabetes and hypertension). Interventions with medicine and psychotherapy make up the majority of management. Clinical psychologists use psychotherapeutic behavioral therapies to help patients control their stress, recurring obsessive tendencies, and negative belief systems while also assisting them in leading generally healthy lives. A psychiatrist will perform pharmacological intervention, which involves using medications to manage OCD symptoms.

To sum it up, quoting Amelia Diane Coombs from Exactly Where You need to be, 

“My OCD is a speed bump, not a barrier to happiness.”