OCD is a mental disease that nearly everyone has heard of at least once in their life, but not many people actually know much about it. Some people think that it is simply another word for a person who likes things to be nice and orderly. This, however, is completely inaccurate, and the term should not be used as such. OCD is completely different than what most people think, and using it as another word for a tidy person can be very offensive to someone who actually has the disorder.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, commonly known as OCD, is a serious mental disease consisting of ‘obsessions’ and ‘compulsions’. The repeated, anxiety inducing, thoughts, images, impulses, or irrational fears are known as obsessions, while the repetitive thoughts or behaviors that someone with OCD uses are called compulsions. The compulsive actions are done to try and stop or eliminate the anxiety caused by the obsessions. OCD is quite a common disorder, affecting millions of people worldwide. Scientists estimate that approximately 1 in 40 adults in the U.S. (about 2.3% of the population) and 1 in 100 children have this disorder. It is difficult to diagnose OCD, given that each case varies from person to person, but everyone with OCD has some sort of obsession-compulsion combination. …show more content…
Getting slightly worried and double-checking to make sure the iron is unplugged and the door is locked before leaving the house is not a sign of OCD. The National Institute of Mental Health says a person with OCD generally cannot control his or her thoughts or behaviors, even when those thoughts or behaviors are recognized as excessive; spends at least 1 hour a day on these thoughts or behaviors; doesn’t get relief when performing the behaviors or rituals, but may feel brief relief from the anxiety the thoughts cause; and/or their obsessions and compulsions cause problems in their daily
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, commonly known as OCD, is a serious mental disease consisting of ‘obsessions’ and ‘compulsions’. The repeated, anxiety inducing, thoughts, images, impulses, or irrational fears are known as obsessions, while the repetitive thoughts or behaviors that someone with OCD uses are called compulsions. The compulsive actions are done to try and stop or eliminate the anxiety caused by the obsessions. OCD is quite a common disorder, affecting millions of people worldwide. Scientists estimate that approximately 1 in 40 adults in the U.S. (about 2.3% of the population) and 1 in 100 children have this disorder. It is difficult to diagnose OCD, given that each case varies from person to person, but everyone with OCD has some sort of obsession-compulsion combination. …show more content…
Getting slightly worried and double-checking to make sure the iron is unplugged and the door is locked before leaving the house is not a sign of OCD. The National Institute of Mental Health says a person with OCD generally cannot control his or her thoughts or behaviors, even when those thoughts or behaviors are recognized as excessive; spends at least 1 hour a day on these thoughts or behaviors; doesn’t get relief when performing the behaviors or rituals, but may feel brief relief from the anxiety the thoughts cause; and/or their obsessions and compulsions cause problems in their daily