Psychopathology- Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Question 1

OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) -

Answer 1

A condition characterised by obsessions and/or compulsive behaviour.

Question 2

Behavioural -

Answer 2

Ways in which people act.

Question 3

Emotional -

Answer 3

Ways in which people feel.

Question 4

Cognitive -

Answer 4

Ways in which people process information, including perception, attention and thinking.

Question 5

What does the DSM system recognise regarding OCD and related disorders?

Answer 5

The DSM system recognises OCD and a range of related disorders, all of which have in common repetitive behaviour accompanied by obsessive thinking.

Question 6

What is OCD?

Answer 6

OCD is characterised by either obsessions (recurring thoughts, images, etc.) and/or compulsions (repetitive behaviours such as hand washing). Most people with OCD have both obsessions and compulsions.

Question 7

What is trichotillomania?

Answer 7

Trichotillomania is compulsive hair pulling.

Question 8

What is hoarding disorder?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What is excoriation disorder?

Answer 9

Excoriation disorder is compulsive skin picking.

Question 10

What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD?

Answer 10

The behavioural characteristics of OCD include compulsions, avoidance, and compulsive actions related to reducing anxiety.

Question 11

What is the compulsive behaviour in OCD?

Answer 11

Compulsions are repetitive behaviours that sufferers feel compelled to perform. Examples include hand washing, counting, praying, and tidying objects.

Question 12

How are compulsions related to anxiety in OCD?

Answer 12

Compulsions reduce anxiety. Around 10% of OCD sufferers experience compulsive behaviour alone, without obsessions, but most perform compulsions to manage the anxiety created by their obsessions. For example, compulsive hand washing relieves the anxiety caused by an obsession with germs.

Question 13

Are compulsions always performed in response to obsessions in OCD?

Answer 13

No, around 10% of OCD sufferers show compulsive behaviour alone, without any obsessions, and these behaviours are done to relieve a general sense of anxiety.

Question 14

What is avoidance behaviour in OCD?

Answer 14

Sufferers of OCD may avoid situations that trigger their anxiety. For example, someone who washes compulsively may avoid coming into contact with germs, which can lead them to avoid everyday tasks like emptying rubbish bins, disrupting normal life.

Question 15

What emotional characteristics are seen in OCD?

Answer 15

Emotional characteristics of OCD include anxiety, distress, accompanying depression, guilt, and disgust.

Question 16

How does anxiety affect people with OCD?

Answer 16

OCD is emotionally unpleasant due to the anxiety that accompanies both obsessions and compulsions. Obsessive thoughts are frightening, and the compulsions create additional anxiety as sufferers feel driven to perform them.

Question 17

What role does depression play in OCD?

Answer 17

OCD is often accompanied by depression. Sufferers may experience low mood, lack of enjoyment in activities, and their compulsions may bring temporary relief from anxiety but do not resolve underlying depressive feelings.

Question 18

What is the role of guilt and disgust in OCD?

Answer 18

In addition to anxiety and depression, OCD can involve irrational guilt, for example, over minor moral issues. It may also include disgust, which can be directed toward external things (like dirt) or toward the self.

Question 19

What cognitive characteristics are present in OCD?

Answer 19

The cognitive characteristics of OCD include obsessive thoughts, cognitive strategies to deal with those thoughts, and insight into the excessive anxiety caused by their condition.

Question 20

What are obsessive thoughts in OCD?

Answer 20

Obsessive thoughts are recurring, unpleasant thoughts that occur in about 90% of OCD sufferers. These thoughts can be about contamination (such as germs), fears of intruders, or violent impulses, and they often cause great distress.

Question 21

How do people with OCD deal with obsessive thoughts?

Answer 21

People with OCD often adopt cognitive strategies like praying, meditating, or engaging in rituals to manage their obsessive thoughts. These strategies can temporarily alleviate anxiety but may make them appear abnormal to others and interfere with normal life.

Question 22

How aware are people with OCD of their thoughts and behaviours?

Answer 22

People suffering from OCD are usually aware that their obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours are irrational, which is necessary for the diagnosis. However, they still experience catastrophic thoughts about worst-case scenarios if their anxieties were justified, and they remain hypervigilant, focusing their attention on potential hazards.