Signs & Symptoms Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorders

People with OCD may have symptoms of obsessions, compulsions, or both. These symptoms can interfere with all aspects of life, such as work, school, and personal relationships.

Obsessions are repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that cause anxiety. Common obsessions include:

• Aggressive thoughts towards others or themselves
• Fear of germs, infection or contamination
• Unwanted taboo (forbidden) thoughts involving: sex, religion and harm
• Having things symmetrical and/or in a perfect order

Compulsions are repetitive actions / behaviors that a person with OCD feels the urge to do in response to an obsessive thought. Common compulsions include:

• Excessive cleaning and/or handwashing
• Repeatedly checking on things: repeatedly checking that the iron turned off; checking to see that the door is locked or closed; checking to make sure that the oven is off
• Compulsive counting
• Ordering and arranging things in a particular and precise way

The thing to keep in mind is that everyone double checks things once in a while. The difference with someone who has OCD is that they generally:

• Spends a minimum of 1 hour a day on these thoughts or behaviors
• They do not receive pleasure or satisfaction when performing obsessions, compulsions or rituals. There may be a brief moment of relief from the anxiety after performing these rituals.
• The cannot control their thoughts or behaviors, even though they recognize them as being excessive.
• These thoughts and/or behaviors cause significant difficulties in everyday living.

It is possible that individuals with ccd may have an problem with tics (a spasmodic contraction of the muscles). There are several types of tics:

• Vocal tics can include throat clearing, grunting or sniffing sounds.
• Motor tics are repetitive movements which can include, facial grimacing, head or shoulder jerking, blinking of the eye(s) or other eye movements and/or shrugging the shoulders.

Tics can come and go or they become worse or decrease over time. Those with OCD may recognize that what they are doing does not make sense, while others do not realize that their behavior is not normal. Often times, parents and teachers will recognize OCD symptoms that children may exhibit.

Tics can be triggered by situations and can lead to obsessions. To avoid triggers, those with OCD may use of alcohol or drugs to calm themselves. This can lead to alcohol / drug dependency which can possibly develop into alcohol / drug abuse.

If left untreated, OCD can become debilitating and interfere in all aspects of everyday life. Symptoms can cause avoiding situations and eventually isolation. If you know someone or think you have OCD, talk to your physician about the symptoms and possible treatments.

Who Is At Risk

OCD is a common disorder that affects adults, adolescents and children. Adolescents / Young Adults are diagnosed by about age 19. Males tend to show symptoms at an earlier are than females. OCD does not only affect children and adolescents and has been diagnosed after the age of 35.