OCD

Question 1

What is OCD?

Answer 1

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition where a person has obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.
OCD is a disorder that is heavily misunderstood and, as a result, is often misdiagnosed or completely ignored.

Question 2

What are the two main components of OCD?

Answer 2

Obsessions
Compulsions

Question 3

What are obsessions?

Answer 3

recurrent and persistent thoughts

Question 4

What are compulsions?

Answer 4

repetitive behaviours

Question 5

Why doe people with OCD carry out compulsions?

Answer 5

Often the person carries out the compulsions to get rid of the obsessions, but this only provides temporary relief. Not performing the obsessive rituals can cause great anxiety.

Question 6

What are the DSM - 5 categories of OCD?

Answer 6

OCD
Trichotillomania
Hoarding disorder
Excoriation disorder

Question 7

What is Trichotillomania?

Answer 7

compulsive hair-pulling

Question 8

What is Hoarding disorder?

Answer 8

the compulsive gathering of possessions and the inability to part with anything, regardless of its value.

Question 9

What is Excoriation disorder?

Answer 9

compulsive skin-picking.

Question 10

What is the cycle of OCD?

Answer 10

Repetitive behaviours, e.g. hand washing, checking, counting, are performed to reduce anxiety and to stop unwanted thoughts. However, performing these behaviours only provides short-term relief, while not performing these behaviours increases anxiety.

The perceived consequences of not carrying out certain behaviours is one of the causes of people becoming trapped in a cycle of unwanted thoughts and compulsive behaviours.

Question 11

What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD?

Answer 11

Compulsions
Avoidance

Question 12

What is the behavioural characteristic compulsions?

Answer 12

Compulsions are repetitive. Sufferers feel compelled to repeat a certain behaviours (eg. hand washing, counting, praying)

Compulsions reduce anxiety. Compulsions are performed in order to manage the anxiety produced by obsessions (eg. compulsive hand washing is a response to obsessive fear of germs).

Question 13

What is the behavioural characteristic avoidance?

Answer 13

Avoidance may also be seen in OCD sufferers as a mechanism to reduce anxiety or stay away from situations that trigger it. For example, compulsive hand washers may avoid contact with germs.

Avoidance can interfere with leading a normal, healthy lifestyle as sufferers avoid more and more every day situations.

Question 14

What are the emotional characteristics of OCD?

Answer 14

Anxiety and distress
Depression
Guilt and disgust

Question 15

What is the emotional characteristic anxiety and distress?

Answer 15

Powerful anxiety accompanies both obsessions and compulsions. The urge to repeat a behaviour causes anxiety, and the obsessive thoughts can be frightening.

Question 16

What is the emotional characteristic depression?

Answer 16

OCD is often accompanied by depression, low mood, or lack of pleasure in doing things (anhedonia).

Question 17

What is the emotional characteristic guilt and disgust?

Answer 17

Irrational guilt may be experienced, for example over minor moral issues, as well as disgust, eg. towards germs or oneself.

Question 18

What are the cognitive characteristics of OCD?

Answer 18

Obsessive thoughts
Coping strategies
Insight

Question 19

What is the cognitive characteristic obsessive thoughts?

Answer 19

Affect around 90% of OCD sufferers.

Sometimes known as ‘ruminations’, these vary from person to person and can include fears, moral debates, questions about gender and sexuality, or desires to hurt somebody.

Question 20

What is the cognitive characteristic coping strategies?

Answer 20

These may help to manage anxiety but can make the person seem abnormal to others and distract them from everyday tasks.

For example, a religious person tormented by excessive guilt may respond by praying or meditating.

Question 21

What is the cognitive characteristic insight?

Answer 21

Sufferers are largely aware that their behaviours and thoughts are irrational.

In spite of their understanding, sufferers still experience immensely distressing thoughts about what might happen if their worst case scenario and anxieties are justified.