Lesson 11 - The behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of OCD

Question 1

Behavioural characteristics of OCD

Answer 1

• Compulsive behaviours, repetitive and unconcealed, like hand washing
• Hindering everyday function, like being late for work
• Social impairment, cannot hold meaningful personal relationships
• Repetitive, sufferers will repeat behaviours because of obsessive thoughts
• Avoidance, like avoiding germs if you wash your hands compulsively

Question 2

Emotional characteristics of OCD

Answer 2

Anxiety and distress, like shame and distress that they cannot control themselves. Compulsions can temporarily alleviate this, but this feeds a cycle of obsession and compulsions.

Depression - the repetitive nature of compulsions may make the sufferer feel helpless and OCD can sometimes co-occur with depression.

Guilt and disgust, sometimes over minor issues, for example, they may feel guilty that they cannot control their compulsions/obsessions, or may feel disgust towards themselves or external things e.g germs.

Question 3

Cognitive characteristics of OCD

Answer 3

• Obsessions, internal and in their head
• Insight, sufferers know the ideas are self-invented
• Realisation of inappropriateness, but they are unable to control themselves
• Attention bias, as sufferers will pay more attention to stimuli that triggers them.