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OCD
Have you ever gone out and then had the uneasy feeling that you left the iron on or the door unlocked? Most of us have had similar thoughts sometime in our lives. It’s not unusual to have these worries from time to time, or to do things to feel like our life is in control.
But what if you feel driven to clean or check on the same things again and again, to feel free from germs or safe from harm? If these actions are taking up a lot of time and making life more difficult, it may be a sign that you have an obsessive-compulsive or related disorder.
Obsessions are thoughts, urges or images that keep popping up in your head. They are often unwanted and uncontrollable. Obsessions may include constant worries about germs or contamination, losing or misplacing things, harm coming to oneself or others, and taboo thoughts about sex or religion. While part of you knows they don’t make sense, the obsessions also feel real and true. These obsessions often compel you to repeat certain behaviours to reduce your feelings of distress.
Compulsions could be things like excessive hand washing or cleaning, repeated checking, arranging objects symmetrically, hoarding things, or body-focused repetitive behaviours like hair pulling or skin picking. Obsessions and compulsions often occur together.
To find out if you have this diagnosis, you will need to have an assessment with a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist.
When offering support to a person with an obsessive-compulsive or related disorder, telling them that it is treatable and encouraging them to seek professional help is a good start. As a family member, friend or colleague, learn as much as you can about the disorder.
Invite the person to talk about their experience so you can learn how it affects them. It’s important to try to understand that while they are aware of their behaviour, they have limited control over it. Encourage their self-care through diet, exercise, and making time to relax. Help them to plan at least one enjoyable activity each day.
Sometimes people with OCD attempt to include others around them in their rituals and compulsive behaviours. Be aware of the fine line that exists here between helping them and making the problem worse. In helping someone with an obsessive-compulsive or related disorder, it is important to look after yourself as well.
