\u201cDoctor, I need help. I think I have OCD because I\u2019m very manic, a perfectionist, I put my books in alphabetical order and I can’t stand open cupboard doors.\u201d If you resonate with any of these words, you may be relieved to hear that you probably don’t have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).<\/p>\n
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OCD is one of the five most common mental illnesses, although it affects only 1% of the population. It is classified as an anxiety disorder and usually begins in two stages of life: adolescence or young adulthood.<\/p>\n
It consists of presenting obsessions that generate a high level of anguish and the need to fight against them, causing the obsessive urge to appear. The severity varies depending on how much it affects the person and is often worse in stressful situations. The obsession-compulsion cycle often lasts for a long time, to the point where important activities are stopped, thus having an impact on the person’s normal functioning.<\/p>\n
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Obsessions<\/strong><\/p>\n These are thoughts or images that are continuously repeated in an involuntary and irrational<\/strong> way and cause fear, distress and anxiety. Patients often describe it as “a thought that someone inserts inside your head.” The most frequent are:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Compulsions<\/strong><\/p>\n These are the repetitive behaviours that arise in an attempt to neutralise the suffering caused by obsessions. <\/strong>In many cases the compulsion is associated with fearful thinking: “if I don’t do this, something bad might happen”. In any case, compulsions do not bring any kind of pleasure and only generate temporary relief. The most frequent are:<\/p>\n\n