OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISOREDR – OCD

A few years back I visited my relative. I managed to renew an old photograph. The old photo was partially eaten by moth and hence I tore it into pieces and threw in a dustbin. My relative’s daughter asked me for the old photo. I said that I had torn it into pieces and threw in dustbin. She insisted that the torn pieces be brought to her for checking. I collected them from dustbin and showed to her. After gazing at the torn pieces she said that they may be put in dustbin then. It was a strange behaviour. 

OCD is a mental disorder by which people are forced to do certain things repeatedly. It may be hand washing, checking up the lock again and again. Sometimes certain thoughts will flash repeatedly. People are unable to resist such thoughts or activities. Some people cannot throw away unwanted materials. Most adults understand that such action on their part is ridiculous but still they cannot evade. In chronic stage it may lead to suicide.

COMPULSIVE HAND WASHING DUE TO OCD

What is OBSESSION?  They are thoughts that occur involuntarily. People with OCD cannot escape from such thoughts however much they try. They do this to obtain relief from obsession related anxiety. Some people develop the habit of biting their nails down to the root. They are not aware that they were doing this activity because they are fully enjoying the relief from his anxiety.

A vague obsession may make a person feel that life is full of mystery and that cannot be avoided. A chronic stage obsession may be the thoughts of a dear person dying. It may also be the insult and abuse poured on him by his relatives. It may also be the loss of his home which he nourished intimately. Other obsessions may be thoughts about God or devil or diseases which they fear that will haunt them.

Some people with sexual obsession may have intrusive thoughts or images of kissing, fondling, oral sex, intercourse, rape with his own kith and kin, animals or religious figures. Masturbation is a typical example of one type of obsession. The man who masturbates knows pretty well that it was foolish on his part to do. Still he does. Compulsive hoarding is another type of obsession. They will have no mind to throw away any unwanted materials. 

REPEATEDLY CHECKING THE DOORLOCK

Primarily obsessional patients: They do not get any compulsion to do anything but they will be facing unwanted distressing thoughts floating in their head most of the time. Such thoughts are based on imaginary fear that he can do harm to others or someone may cause severe pain to him. They will have tendency to avoid situations in which such intrusive thoughts will emerge. Thus they will be avoiding public and personal roles.

Compulsive behaviours: Some people with OCD perform compulsorily certain rituals to escape from the consequences of obsessive thoughts. They feel by doing such rituals they escape from a dreadful event or push the event from their thoughts. Such reasoning by these people cause distress to them and also to their kith and kin. They know pretty well that what they do is not rational but they are compelled to do to get rid of feelings of dread and panic.

Counting footsteps, doing certain things repeatedly with more attention to numbers or patterns are the rituals of OCD affected persons. Washing hands repeatedly, clear their throats frequently, ensuring certain things are in straight line, checking car locks repeatedly, are all symptoms of compulsive behaviour.  People rely on compulsions to escape from obsessive thoughts. However they know that the obsessive thoughts will intrude later. Some people use compulsions to avoid situations that may trigger obsessive thoughts. Habit is totally different from this disorder.

OBSESSIVE THOUGHT OF HELL

Obsessions are recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses or images that are experienced as intrusive and they cause distress and anxiety. Compulsions become significant when a person feels driven to perform them in response to an obsession. The obsessions or compulsions are time consuming and cause disruption in one’s occupation.