Obsessive compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry. It is often expressed with repetitive behaviors attempting to reduce the anxiety. Although OCD is a diagnosed disorder, many people can suffer from OCD without even realizing that they have a disorder. People who wash their hands numerous times a day or check the stoves a few times before leaving the house, can very well be suffering from OCD.
Symptoms of OCD include excessive washing or cleaning; where the person is repetitively worried about germs or any other particular concern. He/ she can find themselves constantly preoccupied with repeated violent or religious thoughts. It is common for people who suffer from obsessive compulsion disorder to have relationship-related obsessions. This causes them to form many social barriers; either by clinging or keeping a distance from certain people. They may have an aversion to particular numbers with no or little reasoning behind it. They are often engrossed in nervous rituals, such as opening and closing a door a certain number of times before entering or leaving a room. These symptoms can be so irritating that they will cause isolation and can become time-consuming which often cause severe emotional distresses. The acts of those who have OCD make the victim seem paranoid and potentially psychotic. However, OCD sufferers generally recognize their obsessions and compulsions as irrational, and may become further distressed by this realization. They often feel hopeless and dejected and are in need for proper guidance and direction.
People who suffer from OCD most likely fall into one of the following categories: washers, checkers, doubters, counters, and hoarders. Washers are afraid of contamination. They usually have cleaning or hand-washing compulsions. Depending on the severity of the disorder, a person who suffers from OCD will wash their hands an abnormal amount of times...