Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

by Charlotte Alan (U)

Graphic by Arina (R)

Over five million teens in the world battle Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a disease that makes them constantly worry. More than 3 million Americans have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). People with OCD suffer from distracting thoughts or obsessions. In order to get rid of these distractions, they act according to "rules" that they make up for themselves. These acts are called compulsions. (Compulsions are also called rituals.) For example, a person with OCD may have obsessive thoughts about germs. Because of these nervous thoughts, the person may wash his or her hands several times or take showers that last for over an hour. Performing these behaviors usually only keeps the nervousness away for short periods of time.
When the fear and/or nervousness returns, the person with OCD repeats the ritual all over again.

Here are some common obsessions:

• Fear of dirt or germs
• Disgust with bodily waste or fluids
• Concern with order, symmetry (balance) and exactness
• Worry that a task has been done poorly, even when the person knows this is not true
• Fear of thinking evil or sinful thoughts
• Thinking about certain sounds, images, words or numbers all the time
• Need for constant reassurance
• Fear of harming a family member or friend
  
  

And some common rituals:

• Washing hands, showering or brushing teeth over and over again
• Checking drawers, door locks and appliances to be sure they are shut, locked or turned off
• Repeating actions (going in and out of a door, sitting down and getting up from a chair, or touching certain
  objects several times )
• Ordering and arranging items in certain ways
• Counting over and over to a certain number
• Saving newspapers, mail or containers when they are no longer needed
• Seeking constant reassurance and approval

Bibliography
Information for this article came from www.familydoctor.org

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