Characteristics of OCD Flashcards
OCD
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Obsessions or compulsions
* 69% of OCD patients have obsessions and compulsions
* 6% only have compulsions
* 25% only have obsessions
* obsessive- reoccuring intrusive thoughts
* compulsions- repetitive behaviour/actions
* some specific types of OCD recognised by DSM-5 include:
1. Hoarding disorder- compulsive collection + gathering of possessions
Behavioural characteristics
- Repetitive compulsions
- Anxiety reducing compulsions
- Avoidance
Repetitive compulsions
behavioural characteristic
* repeating a behaviour
Anxiety reducing compulsions
behavioural characteristic
* compulsive behaviours reduce the anxiety produced by obsessions
Avoidance
behavioural characteristic
* avoiding situations that cause anxiety
* this may have an impact on everyday life
Emotional characteristic
- Guilt and digust
- Anxiety
- Depression
Guilt and disgust
emotional characteristic
* individuals with OCD may start to feel guilty for the ways they feel and be disgusted with situations that cause fear
Anxiety
emotional characteristic
* obsessive thoughts cause discomfort and can be overwhelmingly frightening
Depression
emotional characteristic
* low mood
* withdrawl from activities
Cognitive characteristics
- Obsessive thoughts
- Awareness of irrational thoughts
- Cognitive coping strategies
Obsessive thoughts
cognitive thoughts
* repetitive thoughts
* recurring thoughts are expereinced by 90% of people with OCD
Awareness of irrational thoughts
cognitive characteristic
* people with OCD are aware that their thoughts are irrational
* despite this, they cannot control being constantly alert towards certain situations that are potential hazards
Cognitive coping strategies
cognitve characteristic
* some people use these to cope with the recurring thoughts that cause the obsessive behaviour
* coping strategies can vary from person to person but some of these strategies may appear abnormal to others
