Obsessive-compulsive disorder, also called OCD, is a special type of anxiety, where one experiences obsessive thoughts and/or obsessive behavior. If you experience such behavior and/or thoughts, it often is so that your entire life is based around these thoughts and actions. But why can you not stop yourself from them? You know they are useless, but you still need to act upon them.
OCD? Why do you do it?
Obsessive thoughts and obsessive behavior take over your life. Because OCD is a type of anxiety, the goal of these actions is to reduce or avoid anxiety. While the act in itself does cause anxiety, the actions still do have the goal of satisfying a certain thought, so that it leaves you alone. If you were to skip the action, this would lead to severe unrest and possibly even to a panic attack. The actions and thoughts take over your life in OCD. It seems like you no longer have an own, free will, while you are the one imposing the thoughts and actions on yourself. People with OCD know that they have chosen the actions and thoughts themselves and that they are not necessary, but they cannot let go of them regardless.
OCD? What are the consequences?
As you might be able to guess, OCD has major consequences of the life of the person who has OCD, as well as on the relationships of the person with OCD. People with OCD are often somber and unhappy because they want to rid themselves of the actions but are unable to. THey do not know where to start. This also puts a lot of pressure on the relationship of the person with OCD, because not everyone is really able to understand the actions and thoughts. Loved ones also often experience a large impact of the actions and behavior in their lives.
OCD? How do I treat it?
OCD can be treated at the hand of therapy. This therapy has the goal of once again putting you in control, and helping you become the boss over your anxiety. This way you can once again decide what you do or do not do, in order to thereby find your happiness once again. 15 Minutes 4 Me is an online self-help program, inspired by these therapeutic techniques, which guides you on a daily basis toward reaching your goals.
OCD? Take the anxiety test!
Do you think that you might experience anxiety symptoms? Then test these anxiety symptoms here as well as the eventual severity of these anxiety symptoms!
