Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
WASHERS, CHECKERS, CLEANERS, HOARDERS, REPEATERS, ORDERERS, AND
PURE OBSESSIVES…these are generally accepted subdivisions of
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
“Cleaners” feel that nearly everything is contaminated or
dirty and they spend inordinate amounts of time cleaning and
recleaning their surroundings. “Checkers”
have an overwhelming need to repeatedly check things.
For instance, a “checker” may turn off the stove and be
compelled to check it 20, or even 100, times to be sure that it is
indeed turned off. “Hoarders”
collect almost anything. They
may even have difficulty throwing away garbage, saving soup cans,
empty boxes, milk cartons, pieces of paper and cardboard.
“Repeaters” are people who feel overwhelmingly compelled to
do things a “right” number of times.
These people generally fear that if they do not do something
the “right” number of times, that something bad will happen.
For instance, they may feel that they must always do everything
seven times since seven is a “lucky number”.
“Orderers” are generally reluctant to let anyone touch
their possessions, lest they will be misarranged.
Orderers might spend hours just aligning a piece of paper on a
desktop in order to get it “exactly right”.
“Pure obsessive” may be troubled with recurring thoughts of
a disturbing nature. For
instance, these people may constantly obsess about hurting someone
that they love. Even
though they know that they would not do such a thing, they cannot stop
worrying about this possibility.
OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by involuntary thoughts,
ideas, urges, impulses, or worries that run through one’s mind
repeatedly (obsessions) followed by a behavioral response (compulsion)
that result in time-consuming rituals.
Many OCD sufferers often attempt to hide their disorder rather
than seek help. The
unfortunate consequences of this secrecy is that people with OCD
usually do not receive professional help until many years after the
onset of their disease.
OCD affects not only the sufferer but the whole family.
It can be treated with behavior therapy and/or pharmacotherapy
programs. Family
education is also very important to help manage anger and resentment
that may develop from poor understanding of this disorder.
Although this disorder was formerly thought to be quite rare, the
National Institute of Health has estimated that OCD affects more than
2% of the population. Males
and females are equally affected and OCD strikes people of all ethnic
groups. The symptoms
typically begin in teenage or early adult years although some studies
have indicated that at least 1/3 of the cases of OCD in adults began
in childhood. There are
approximately 1,000,000 children and adolescents in the United States
that suffer from OCD. Suffering
from OCD during early stages of the child’s development can cause
severe problems for the child.
If you believe that you may have OCD, you should seek the help of your
family physician initially and if this diagnosis seems likely, a
referral to a mental health professional may be necessary. |
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