Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder, which can cause obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour. Around 1.2% of people in the UK have OCD.
The International OCD Foundation launched OCD Awareness Week in 2009 to raise awareness and understanding of the anxiety disorder, and how it can affect people. It takes place on the 9th to the 15th of October.
What is OCD?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is a mental health condition and anxiety disorder, categorised by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.
OCD can affect men, women and children, with people having symptoms as early as 5 years old, however, most people will get symptoms during puberty and early adulthood. OCD can have serious impacts on a persons’ life, but there are treatment options that can keep it under control.
What are the symptoms of OCD?
Symptoms of OCD include frequent obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. An obsession, in this context, is described as unwanted and unpleasant thoughts, images, or urges that enter the mind causing feelings of anxiety, disgust or unease. A compulsion is a repetitive behaviour or action that you feel like you need to do to help with the unpleasant feelings as a result of the obsessive thought.
Some examples of common obsessions that affect people with OCD include:
- Fear of deliberately or accidentally harming yourself or others
- Fear of contamination by disease, infection, or illness
- A need for orderliness, symmetry, or structure, such as all the labels facing the same way in the cupboard
Some examples of common compulsive behaviours include:
- Cleaning and handwashing
- Counting
- Ordering and arranging thing
- Hoarding things
- Asking for reassurance
- Checking something repeatedly
- Repeating words in their head
- Avoiding places or situations
Some people with OCD may also develop other mental health problems, such as:
- Depression – general feelings of sadness, hopelessness, loss of interest in things, and suicidal thoughts, and feelings.
- Eating disorders – abnormal attitudes to food that affect your eating habits and behaviours.
- Generalised anxiety disorder – feeling anxious about a wide range of things and issues.
- Hoarding – a condition that involves excessively getting items and not being able to throw them away
What causes OCD?
It’s not entirely understood what causes OCD, but there are a number of things that may impact it, for example:
- Family history – you are more likely to develop OCD if a family member has it.
- Differences in the brain – some people with OCD have low levels of serotonin.
- Personality – neat or meticulous people may be more likely to develop OCD, or people that are anxious.
- External events – OCD can be more common in people that have been abused, neglected, or bullied, and OCD can occur after some sort of life event, such as a bereavement.
Are there treatments for OCD?
There are a few different treatment options for OCD, these are:
- Talking therapy – which is a type of therapy that helps you face your fears and obsessive thoughts, this includes counselling, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
- Medicine – antidepressant medication that can help alter the balance of chemicals in the brain.
You can find information about NHS talking therapies here.
How can you support OCD Awareness Week?
You can donate to OCD charities and organisations, such as OCD Action, which provides support and help for thousands of people with OCD. You can fundraise with this charity too, by doing an event, or leaving a gift in your will. Other things you can do include educating yourself about OCD, and being mindful of how you talk about OCD.