Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is included in the group of anxiety disorders and it belongs to the broader group of neuroses. It is characterized either by obsessions – thoughts that create discomfort – or by compulsions – repeated actions, “rituals” to get rid of the discomfort, or both. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a serious problem because it affects people’s daily lives. But how do we know if our tendencies to cleanliness and organization are just a feature of our personality or warning signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder?
The following signs will help us understand.
1. We often wash our hands and our space.
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder wash their hands and space very often because they are obsessed with germs and dirt and the fear of infecting themselves or others.
2. We are interested in symmetry and order.
Everything needs to be in place, the clothes in the closet properly aligned or the ashtray on the table has its place. Any change makes us feel uncomfortable.
3. We do frequent checks.
Obsessions that lead to regular environmental control are a sign of the disorder. If, for example, we constantly check if we turned off the water heater, if we locked the door, or if the oven is off, then we are definitely in trouble.
4. We do arithmetic operations in our minds.
If we count the stairs as we go up or down, if we have a certain numerical pattern in our mind, if we consider the 13 unlucky number or the 3 lucky, if we count the red cars that pass and if we are generally obsessed with superstition and we knock wood to exorcise the evil, then we should check ourselves for OCD.
5. We worry about violence.
We all experience moments of fear for our safety and we want to be safe from crime. But that doesn’t stop us from going out and having a social life. The obsession with excessive security is anything but healthy.
6. We have unwanted thoughts about sex.
People with OCD often experience recurring unwanted thoughts about inappropriate sexual behavior. They can imagine the abuse of a person, for example, and this thought can cause them great discomfort and prevent them from any social interaction.
Such thoughts can ruin a person’s life and functionality and lead them to isolation because they are afraid that their thought will be real.
What do we do about it? By our own, we cannot do many things. We need to visit a psychologist and ask for help. It is now easy to stop OCD by ourselves, because of the persistence of the disorder.
