Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects three out of every 100 people, and many of them are unaware of the issue. OCD refers to itself as a “silent enemy.”
According to doctors, OCD, also known as obsessive compulsive disorder, is a mental illness in which a person experiences intrusive thoughts, ideas, or images that can be very difficult to control.
She continued by saying that although the patient can recognize the intentionality of the thought, they are unable to challenge or check it, and OCD tends to interfere with their capacity to operate and perform duties.
The individual’s productivity is significantly hampered by ideas and compulsions, which also significantly impede their functioning in social, professional, and personal spheres. In order to prevent their obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors from being triggered, people frequently avoid particular circumstances, people, or interactions. Because of their anxiety, they may also engage in a lot of avoidance.
Most people fail to seek treatment at the initial stages and approach a specialist only after three or four years of suffering from the condition.
Some typical obsessions are:
Aversion to contamination
Unwelcome, intrusive, or violent thoughts and images
Excessive scepticism about something regarded as lucky or unlucky
Thoughts on moral or religious principles
Compulsions that an OCD patient frequently has:
Constant checking of things like locks and switches
Repetitive hand washing or self-cleaning and rearrangement of objects
constantly call close ones to inquire about their safety
Repeating certain words or numbers, or tapping, touching, or counting repeatedly to ensure accuracy
There are also compulsions, which are behaviors people engage in to block out their thoughts.
Compulsions come in a variety of forms and might include behaviors like checking and cleaning, among others.
As a result, someone may keep returning to see if I locked the door or not, turned off the gas, etc.
Some people might have kept track of things numerous times, so they have a set number at which they would like to act and are unable to restrain themselves from doing so.
How do you determine if someone has OCD or is meticulous?
OCD sufferers are aware that these beliefs are absurd and unreasonable. They are also aware that the fears brought on by the ideas are unfounded. They themselves desire to avoid thinking about these things. But it becomes exceedingly challenging to withstand the anxiety-related distress and the ideas’ repetitiveness. To cope with their worry and related concerns, they would engage in obsessive behaviors.
In contrast, a fastidious individual is overly careful and places attention on even the smallest details. They consider their arbitrary criteria to be perfectly reasonable. These requirements are not founded on intrusive or incorrect assumptions. They can ward it off once their work is over. The resulting agitation or anxiety would not be excessive and would be easily manageable.
When should a patient consult a doctor?
In India, it takes less time on average to seek therapy than it does in the USA—about five years as opposed to 15 years on average. But the majority of people who seek treatment come from particular social groups, particularly the middle or upper middle class.
So, when should a patient consult a physician?
All of these occur in regular people on some level. Some people are occasionally more picky about hygiene and discount strange thoughts. Most people do not go on to acquire OCD. One must seek assistance if it causes anxiety, interferes with daily activities, and takes a lot of time.
To conclude, treating OCD requires a dual strategy that includes both psychotherapy and the use of psychiatric medications that have been recommended by a psychiatrist. Exposure and response prevention are two of the main ways of helping the person improve their tolerance of the thought process and not interact with the compulsions; therefore, working via therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, is typically one of the most effective methodologies