Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a chronic anxiety disorder that involves intrusive thoughts that lead to compulsive behaviors. Someone with OCD may have obsessive thoughts, compulsive behavior, or both. These can be hugely disruptive and take a significant toll on your life. Typically, people with OCD know their obsessions and compulsions are irrational, but they can’t get rid of them. They often experience a lot of anxiety related to their obsessive thoughts and may use alcohol or drugs to relieve the anxiety. An estimated 25 percent of people with OCD will also have a substance use disorder. Obsessive thoughts can be about anything but people with OCD are commonly preoccupied with certain kinds of things. These include fear of germs or chemical contamination, unwanted thoughts about taboo sex, thoughts about religion, or aggressive thoughts about harming oneself or others. In an effort to placate their anxiety, people with OCD develop rituals and compulsions. These include compulsive hand washing to avoid germs, compulsively double checking things, like making sure the stove is turned off or the door is bolted, counting things, ordering things in a specific way, and generally trying to control their environments. They don’t typically get any kind pleasure from these activities, only temporary relief. It’s normal to worry about things that may go wrong and take reasonable steps to prevent them. It’s a good idea to lock your doors at night, for example, but there’s no need to spend an hour locking your doors every night. Compulsions and rituals can take up a lot of time, and it’s especially frustrating for people with OCD because they know these actions are irrational but they can’t stop. People with OCD also sometimes have tics, such as repetitive motor movements, blinking, throat clearing, shrugging or facial expressions. OCD is typically diagnosed by age 19. We don’t know exactly what causes it, but genes appear to be a risk factor. People with close relatives with OCD, especially if the relative had it from a young age, are more likely to be diagnosed with OCD. People who are abused physically or sexually or experience some other trauma as children are also at greater risk for developing OCD. OCD is treated with a combination of therapy and medication. Medications used to treat OCD are usually SSRIs or tricyclic antidepressants. Research has found that several cognitive behavioral therapies are about as effective as medication as treating OCD. For most people, OCD symptoms respond well to treatment. See your doctor if you think you might have OCD. If you need treatment for addiction, be sure to find a program that can treat OCD and addiction in an integrated way.
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