2008 Woodie Awards
Can your daily habits be a result of OCD?
Professionals tell all about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Christina Piazza
Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: News
You're sitting in the mahogany room trying to do homework, but you're obsessed with cleaning the table first and organizing your notes before getting anything done. Messes bother you.
Germs bother you; you feel the need to constantly wash your hands to avoid contamination.
Could it be OCD?
OCD, short for obsessive-compulsive disorder is a type of anxiety disorder.
"Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an illness that causes people to have unwanted thoughts, those are the obsessions, and/or repetitive behaviors, those are the compulsions," said Jocelyn Novella, licensed professional counselor from the counseling center. "Either of these is unwanted, the person does not feel that they can ignore or stop them because they have extreme anxiety if they try to do so."
Many sufferers are compelled to perform rituals to relieve their obsessions. Some people might have to switch a light switch off and on several times in order to avoid something bad happening.
Dr. Christina Taylor, a professor of psychology at Sacred Heart University has done extensive research in the field of OCD. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the national Obsessive Compulsive Foundation.
"We take showers and dress in habitual ways and we may prefer to have our belongings or furnishings arranged in a particular way, but these habits are automatic and do not impair our ability to function," said Taylor. "If we had to, we could put our shirt on by buttoning from the bottom instead of the top.
The person with OCD, on the other hand, might believe that their mother and father would die if they changed the way in which they buttoned their shirt, a disastrous consequence that one would do everything to avoid."
Obsessions tend to be related to the compulsions or rituals.
"An individual may fear harming others, they could fear poisoning someone's food, and therefore engage in excessive washing and cleaning in order to relieve their anxiety," said Taylor. " It could be so excessive that they may actually hurt themselves - their hands become so dry and cracked that they are in constant pain.
Germs bother you; you feel the need to constantly wash your hands to avoid contamination.
Could it be OCD?
OCD, short for obsessive-compulsive disorder is a type of anxiety disorder.
"Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an illness that causes people to have unwanted thoughts, those are the obsessions, and/or repetitive behaviors, those are the compulsions," said Jocelyn Novella, licensed professional counselor from the counseling center. "Either of these is unwanted, the person does not feel that they can ignore or stop them because they have extreme anxiety if they try to do so."
Many sufferers are compelled to perform rituals to relieve their obsessions. Some people might have to switch a light switch off and on several times in order to avoid something bad happening.
Dr. Christina Taylor, a professor of psychology at Sacred Heart University has done extensive research in the field of OCD. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the national Obsessive Compulsive Foundation.
"We take showers and dress in habitual ways and we may prefer to have our belongings or furnishings arranged in a particular way, but these habits are automatic and do not impair our ability to function," said Taylor. "If we had to, we could put our shirt on by buttoning from the bottom instead of the top.
The person with OCD, on the other hand, might believe that their mother and father would die if they changed the way in which they buttoned their shirt, a disastrous consequence that one would do everything to avoid."
Obsessions tend to be related to the compulsions or rituals.
"An individual may fear harming others, they could fear poisoning someone's food, and therefore engage in excessive washing and cleaning in order to relieve their anxiety," said Taylor. " It could be so excessive that they may actually hurt themselves - their hands become so dry and cracked that they are in constant pain.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Dorothy
posted 6/26/08 @ 3:55 PM EST
I am surprised, with all the people with OCD out there, that no one has posted a comment. This is a decent, helpful article and should be forwarded to friends with OCD. (Continued…)
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