Clinical Characteristics of OCD

Question 1

Define OCD

Answer 1

OCD is an anxiety disorder. This means that the person regularly experiences intense feelings of anxiety and panic, including symptoms such as increases heart rate, trembling, sweating, dizziness, feelings of sickness etc. The obsessions create the anxiety and the compulsions reduce it.

Question 2

Explain the obsessions

Answer 2

intrusive, unwelcome, persistent thoughts, images, beliefs and impulses that enter the mind apparently uninvited and that cannot be removed. Obsessions include concerns about dirt and contamination, orderliness and illness.

Obsessions can take various forms:

• Obsessional thoughts - repeated, intrusive words or phrases which are distressing or even offensive to the individual.
• Ruminations - internal debates which are endlessly reviewed, presenting arguments for and against even the simplest of actions. They can also include repeated worrying themes about complex issues beyond the control of the individual e.g. the end of the world.
• Doubts - repeated worrying themes, often concerning actions that have or have not been carried out e.g. locking the door after leaving the house, or turning the cooker off.
• Impulses - Repeated urges to carry out actions, usually actions that could be aggressive, dangerous or socially embarrassing, e.g. running into the road in front of a bus or shouting obscenities in a library. It is important to note that, although the impulse are strong, people with OCD rarely behave in violent or immoral ways.

Question 3

Explain the compulsions

Answer 3

An over-whelming need to perform repetitive and ritualistic behaviour in order to prevent an imagined dire consequence.
Compulsions can take various forms:
-checking rituals e.g. checking and rechecking that the door has been locked or the cooker has been turned off
-cleaning rituals e.g. repeated hand-washing or continual scrubbing and bleaching of surroundings, especially sinks, toilets and doorknobs.
-counting rituals e.g. usually silent counting in particular groupings, such as in 3’s, or counting objects around them.
-hoarding e.g. an inability to throw anything away

People with OCD feel intense anxiety if they don’t carry out these behaviours.