Ocd what is it

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

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What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness that causes repeated unwanted thoughts or sensations (obsessions) or the urge to do something over and over again (compulsions). Some people can have both obsessions and compulsions.

OCD isn’t about habits like biting your nails or thinking negative thoughts. An obsessive thought might be that certain numbers or colors are “good” or “bad.” A compulsive habit might be to wash your hands seven times after touching something that could be dirty. Although you may not want to think or do these things, you feel powerless to stop.

Everyone has habits or thoughts that repeat sometimes. People with OCD have thoughts or actions that:

OCD Types and Symptoms

OCD comes in many forms, but most cases fall into at least one of four general categories:

Obsessions and Compulsions

Many people who have OCD know that their thoughts and habits don’t make sense. They don’t do them because they enjoy them, but because they can’t quit. And if they stop, they feel so bad that they start again.

Obsessive thoughts can include:

Compulsive habits can include:

OCD Causes and Risk Factors

Doctors aren’t sure why some people have OCD. Stress can make symptoms worse.

It’s a bit more common in women than in men. Symptoms often appear in teens or young adults.

OCD risk factors include:

Sometimes, a child might have OCD after a streptococcal infection. This is called pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections, or PANDAS.

OCD Diagnosis

Your doctor may do a physical exam and blood tests to make sure something else isn’t causing your symptoms. They will also talk with you about your feelings, thoughts, and habits.

OCD Treatment

There’s no cure for OCD. But you may be able to manage how your symptoms affect your life through medicine, therapy, or a combination of treatments.

OCD-Related Conditions

Show Sources

National Institute of Mental Health: “Obsessive-compulsive disorder: When unwanted thoughts or irresistible actions take over” and “Obsessive-compulsive disorder.”

Mayo Clinic: “Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Symptoms & Causes;” “Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Diagnosis & treatment;” and “Cognitive behavioral therapy.”В

American Psychiatric Association: “What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?”

International OCD Foundation: “What is OCD?” “How is OCD Treated?” “Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS),” “Disorders Related to OCD.”

NYU Langone Child Study Center: “Habit reversal therapy: An approach to managing repetitive behavior disorders.”

OCD-UK: “The Different Types of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.”

American Psychological Association: “What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?”

American Family Physician: “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Diagnosis and Management.”

Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine: “Antipsychotics and OCD: Boon or Bane?”

BMC Psychiatry: “Atypical antipsychotic augmentation in SSRI treatment refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.”

News release, FDA.

National Alliance on Mental Illness: “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.”

About OCD

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that affects people of all ages and walks of life, and occurs when a person gets caught in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that trigger intensely distressing feelings. Compulsions are behaviors an individual engages in to attempt to get rid of the obsessions and/or decrease his or her distress.

Most people have obsessive thoughts and/or compulsive behaviors at some point in their lives, but that does not mean that we all have “some OCD.” In order for a diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder to be made, this cycle of obsessions and compulsions becomes so extreme that it consumes a lot of time and gets in the way of important activities that the person values.

What exactly are obsessions and compulsions?

Obsessions are thoughts, images or impulses that occur over and over again and feel outside of the person’s control. Individuals with OCD do not want to have these thoughts and find them disturbing. In most cases, people with OCD realize that these thoughts don’t make any sense. Obsessions are typically accompanied by intense and uncomfortable feelings such as fear, disgust, doubt, or a feeling that things have to be done in a way that is “just right.” In the context of OCD, obsessions are time consuming and get in the way of important activities the person values. This last part is extremely important to keep in mind as it, in part, determines whether someone has OCD — a psychological disorder — rather than an obsessive personality trait.

Unfortunately, “obsessing” or “being obsessed” are commonly used terms in every day language. These more casual uses of the word means that someone is preoccupied with a topic or an idea or even a person. “Obsessed” in this everyday sense doesn’t involve problems in day-to-day living and even has a pleasurable component to it. You can be “obsessed” with a new song you hear on the radio, but you can still meet your friend for dinner, get ready for bed in a timely way, get to work on time in the morning, etc., despite this obsession. In fact, individuals with OCD have a hard time hearing this usage of “obsession” as it feels as though it diminishes their struggle with OCD symptoms.

Even if the content of the “obsession” is more serious, for example, everyone might have had a thought from time to time about getting sick, or worrying about a loved one’s safety, or wondering if a mistake they made might be catastrophic in some way, that doesn’t mean these obsessions are necessarily symptoms of OCD. While these thoughts look the same as what you would see in OCD, someone without OCD may have these thoughts, be momentarily concerned, and then move on. In fact, research has shown that most people have unwanted “intrusive thoughts” from time to time, but in the context of OCD, these intrusive thoughts come frequently and trigger extreme anxiety that gets in the way of day-to-day functioning.

Common Obsessions in OCD [1]

Contamination Obsessions

Violent Obsessions

Responsibility Obsessions

Perfectionism-related Obsessions

Sexual Obsessions

Religious/Moral Obsessions (Scrupulosity)

Identity Obsessions

Other Obsessions

Compulsions are the second part of obsessive compulsive disorder. These are repetitive behaviors or thoughts that a person uses with the intention of neutralizing, counteracting, or making their obsessions go away. People with OCD realize this is only a temporary solution but without a better way to cope they rely on the compulsion as a temporary escape. Compulsions can also include avoiding situations that trigger obsessions. Compulsions are time consuming and get in the way of important activities the person values.

Similar to obsessions, not all repetitive behaviors or “rituals” are compulsions. You have to look at the function and the context of the behavior. For example, bedtime routines, religious practices, and learning a new skill all involve some level of repeating an activity over and over again, but are usually a positive and functional part of daily life. Behaviors depend on the context. Arranging and ordering books for eight hours a day isn’t a compulsion if the person works in a library. Similarly, you may have “compulsive” behaviors that wouldn’t fall under OCD, if you are just a stickler for details or like to have things neatly arranged. In this case, “compulsive” refers to a personality trait or something about yourself that you actually prefer or like. In most cases, individuals with OCD feel driven to engage in compulsive behavior and would rather not have to do these time consuming and many times torturous acts. In OCD, compulsive behavior is done with the intention of trying to escape or reduce anxiety or the presence of obsessions

What Is OCD And How Is It Recognized?

Virtually everyone has experienced worries, doubts or fears at one time or another. It’s natural to worry about life issues such as your health or the well-being of someone you love, paying bills or what the future will bring. Everyone has also an occasional intrusive thought; it’s not even abnormal if you’ve had an intrusive “bad” thought. That’s not OCD.

OCD is diagnosed when obsessions and compulsions

OCD is characterized by obsessive thoughts, impulses, or images and compulsions (overt or mental rituals) that are difficult to suppress and take a considerable amount of time and energy away from living your life, enjoying your family and friends or even doing your job or school work.

When OCD symptoms are present, it’s important to consult a mental health professional who is knowledgeable about OCD for evaluation and treatment.

OCD Research and Findings

Doctors and researchers are divided on what causes OCD but many believe OCD is the result of abnormal brain circuitry function. It tends to be genetic and symptoms often begin during childhood.

However, research continues. A recent study showed that inflammation of the brain tissue was 32 per cent higher in the brains of OCD sufferers compared to others.

Some examples of obsessive thoughts are fear of being hurt, or germs, or contracting a disease. Compulsions can include repetitive tasks, frequent hand washing, frequent or repetitive cleaning, checking on things.

The average age of onset is 19 years old. Sometimes the condition manifests itself temporarily and in some cases it is prevalent for a lifetime.

OCD can be extremely burdensome to the sufferer, often impacting the day-to-day life of not only the person with OCD but their families as well.

What are the Symptoms of OCD?

In some cases, compulsions are shaped by the nature of the obsessions. Compulsive washing, for example, is commonly performed in response to obsessive fears of contamination. Similarly, a fear of the house burning down may lead to the excessive checking of the stove, oven, and iron.

In other cases, obsessions and compulsions are paired in a way that defies explanation; the compulsive behavior is completely unrelated to the obsession. For example, a businessman may feel compelled to tap his desk multiple times to prevent harm from coming to his family while he is at work.

It’s important to note that some people with OCD perform rituals not in response to a distinct obsession or fear but rather in response to certain sensory phenomena. Visual, auditory or tactile sensations may trigger a need for something to look, sound, or feel “just right.” Upon seeing a tile floor, for example, a person may experience a need to trace over each of the tiles mentally in a symmetrical fashion.

In other cases, external triggers are absent, but the individual has an inner feeling and/or perception of discomfort that causes him or her to repeat a behavior until the feeling is relieved; the behavior needs to be repeated until it feels “just right” or “complete.” In still other situations, repeating behavior is preceded neither by obsessions nor sensations but rather by a need or urge.

Below are some examples of the more common OCD symptoms. Obsessions are shown in italics, and rituals that are frequently associated with those obsessions are listed beneath them.

Fears of germs or contamination

Fears that harm, illness, or death, will befall oneself or others; fear of causing harm to oneself or others, including violent or aggressive obsessions (fear of killing or injuring oneself or another person; fear of molesting a child)

Note: Individuals with OCD who have violent/aggressive thoughts neither have a history of violence nor act upon these urges or ideas.

Fears/feelings/urges related to numbers, e.g., “good” numbers, “bad” numbers, “magical” numbers

Fears/feelings/urges related to discarding something (e.g., fears that something bad will happen if something is thrown away); feelings of incompleteness if something is discarded (e.g., need to document and preserve all life experiences); fears of contamination (excessive acquisition of items that cannot be touched due to contamination fears; buying items that a person has touched to avoid contaminating other people); need to buy items in multiples of a particular number; not discarding objects to avoid repetitive rituals such as washing or checking

Note: This form of hoarding is related to the obsessions and compulsions of OCD and is distinct from Hoarding Disorder (see Related Conditions).

Excessive fear of violating religious or moral rules (scrupulosity)

Fears/feelings/urges related to symmetry or order

Fears/feelings/urges/images related to sexual content

Excessive doubting/dread of uncertainty

Fears/feelings/urges related to having something “just right,” “just so” or “perfect”

Symptoms of OCD vary widely, depending upon the individual and the situation. Adults and children experience many symptoms other than those mentioned above. Interestingly, the majority of people with OCD are able to function reasonably well, and friends or co-workers may not even suspect there’s a problem. But when symptoms escalate to the point that they interfere with functioning – excessive time is lost from work, an individual is unable to work, a student who normally receives good grades in school suddenly receives poor grades, uncontrollable fear and anxiety are severely straining a relationship – it’s time to get help.

How Effective are OCD Medications?

Medications are ineffective for nearly one in three people with OCD. Nonetheless, conventional therapies include anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications along with behavioral therapies and psychotherapy.

Antipsychotic medications are becoming a more accepted treatment method. The good news is clinicians are becoming increasingly able to offer personalized treatment regimens.

Medications and therapy are the short-term treatment protocol for OCD and where these are effective they become the long-term management solution. OCD is never cured, only managed.

Postpartum OCD (PPOCD)

Over the years, the condition experienced by many new mothers known as post-partum depression has received increased attention. Perhaps not as widely recognized, however, is that although reported figures vary, an estimated two to three percent of new mothers develop postpartum OCD (PPOCD). With this disorder, a woman may have obsessive intrusive thoughts about her baby’s safety. Symptoms include:

Everyone from family members to friends expects a new mother to be joyful. But society doesn’t realize that PPOCD can leave a new mother feeling devastated and exhausted. Untreated PPOCD can have a negative impact a mother’s ability to care for her child and severely strain her marriage, friendships, and other relationships.

Effective individualized treatment for both post-partum depression and PPOCD (which frequently occur together) is available and can enable a new mom to manage her symptoms. As with other types of OCD, postpartum OCD usually responds to medications (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Although serotonin reuptake inhibitors are effective treatments for OCD, their risks to the unborn and breast-feeding child are not yet well known. Many experts believe these medications probably pose no danger, but it’s important to discuss the possible risks with your doctor on an individual basis. A safer, yet more challenging treatment approach, is CBT, which has been demonstrated to be more effective than medications for non-postpartum OCD.

Obsessions & Compulsions Explained

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What do I do if I have obsessive thoughts and compulsive urges?

Obsessions and Compulsions Explained

We all have strange or worried thoughts from time to time. For example, doubts about whether you left the iron on, fears about getting sick and dying, and sometimes, worries about unusual, disturbing, or violent things happening. Sometimes however, thoughts like this can become intense, frequent, and difficult to control.

Thoughts like this can impact people’s behaviour. For example, people who worry about burning their house down might triple (or quadruple) check that they’ve turned the oven off. These behaviours often feel compulsive, and can be time consuming and difficult for other people to understand.

If you have thoughts and urges like this, then it could be helpful to learn more about obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

What is OCD?

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder characterised by unwanted, intrusive thoughts and behaviours that are intended to get rid of or ‘neutralise’ these thoughts. These kinds of thoughts are called ‘obsessions’ because they can be all consuming and hard to control. The behaviours are called ‘compulsions’ because people can feel compelled to do them.

People with OCD feel compelled to do certain thing because their obsessive thoughts trigger intense anxiety. For example, someone with OCD might feel a strong urge to check that they locked the door, over and over, because their fear of being robbed is overwhelming. Other times, people with OCD wash their hands repetitively because they’re terrfied about getting an infection.

Many people have mild OCD ‘symptoms’, like wanting things to be organised or doubting whether they’ve locked the door. To be classified as OCD however, these symptoms need to be intense, distressing, and significantly interfere with a person’s life.

What Are The Signs of OCD?

Obsessions

Obsessions are thoughts, images, or worries that keep coming back into your head, no matter how hard you try to block them out. These thoughts are very distressing; they’re always about something dangerous or upsetting. Obsessions can also be disturbing. For example, people with OCD can have intrusive thoughts about things that they don’t want to do, like hurting themselves or other people. Obsessions tend to be about things that are important to people. People who care about their health might have intrusive thoughts about being contaminated, while those who see themselves as kind and caring might be more likely to have upsetting, violent thoughts.

Compulsions

Compulsions are the things that people do in response to an obsessive thought. Compulsions are intended to get rid of or ‘neutralise’ obsessions, by preventing them from coming true or getting rid of the fear that the obsessions cause. Compulsions can be visible behaviours (things you can see people do), like repeatedly checking or washing things. They can also be mental behaviours, like repeatedly praying, counting, or saying things silently in your head. Compulsions are also called ‘rituals’ because most people feel like they have to do them in a very specific way. People with OCD will repeat these behaviours over and over until the ritual has been done ‘just right’ or until it feels like danger has been averted. As a result, compulsions can be very time-consuming, sometimes taking up hours in a person’s day. Compulsions can also have other negative consequences, from developing blisters from repeated handwashing, to being unable to work because of checking takes so much time in their day.

Any of these features may serve as warning signs of OCD, and OCD can present in many different ways. Remember, only a qualified mental health professional can diagnose OCD following a thorough assessment of your personal situation and circumstances. If you’re concerned about the way you’ve been feeling, please don’t delay speaking with your regular healthcare provider or check out our anonymous online test below and see if one of our online programs could help.

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Common OCD Pairings

There are many different types of obsessions, and each type tends occur with a specific set of compulsions. Some examples include:

Some people with OCD feel intensely worried about being contaminated by germs, dirt, insects, asbestos, or bodily fluids. As a result, they try to avoid being exposed to these things and things that other people have touched, like door handles, toilets, or letters. If a person with OCD feels like they’ve been contaminated, they will try to ‘neutralise’ this feeling by repeatedly washing themselves or their work or home environment.

Sometimes people with this type of OCD worry that their food will be contaminated, or that they will accidentally poison themselves or someone they love. As a result, they’ll repeatedly rewash anything they touch and avoid handling food that will be eaten by others.

Other people with OCD have a pathological level of doubt. They doubt that they’ve turned appliances off, locked the door, sent that specific email, or written reports correctly. They have catastrophic worries because of these doubts, for example, that their house will be burned down, or they’ll be robbed or fired. As a result, they check these things over and over, often doubting that they just checked things properly.

Checking compulsions can also be triggered by obsessive thoughts about getting hurt or hurting other people. For example, repeatedly checking that a shadow on the road isn’t a person that they hit while driving, or triple checking that twigs or cracks on the ground aren’t dangerous objects, like syringes.

It’s also common for people with OCD to have obsessive thoughts about a loved one getting hurt, and to worry that these thoughts will somehow cause this harm to happen. For example, if a person has an intrusive thought about someone dying while they walk through a door, then they will have a compulsion to go back and walk through the door again while thinking about their loved one being safe and well. This is called mental ‘neutralising’ or ‘undoing’, as the unpleasant thought is reversed and replaced with a good thought. These symptoms may be associated with a wide variety of everyday activities, including dressing, eating, drinking, reading, sitting, and walking.

People with OCD can also have unwanted and upsetting thoughts of harming themselves or other people. Common examples include violent mental images of injured family members or worries that you’ve forgotten about hurting a stranger. These thoughts are terrifying for the person with OCD and can result in some complex behaviours, such as removing all sharp objects from the house, refusing to drive, and repeatedly reassuring themselves that they haven’t and couldn’t hurt anyone. These kinds of obsessives are completely inconsistent with the person’s true beliefs and values, causing them to experience significant shame, fear, and distress.

Sexual obsessions in OCD are unwanted thoughts, images, or impulses that make you anxious or distressed every time they come into your mind. They are completely inconsistent with a person’s true values and desires, and as a result, are often associated with intense shame, embarrassment, self-loathing, and fear. Common examples include thoughts of molesting children, unwanted images inconsistent with a person’s sexuality, and impulses to inappropriately touch or stare at breasts or genital areas. Most people with this type of OCD respond to their thoughts by reminding themselves that they don’t want to act on their thoughts, and by trying to avoid situations where the thoughts are likely to occur.

How Common is OCD?

Approximately 1% to 2% of the population will be diagnosed with OCD at some point in their life. OCD can develop in both adults and children, although it normally emerges before a person turns 30. Boys usually show their first symptoms at a younger age than girls, so OCD is twice as common in boy children than in girls. In adults, the number of men and women with OCD is equal. Once a person has developed OCD, it’s rare for it to resolve without treatment.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for OCD

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT is considered to be one of the leading psychological treatments for OCD. All of our online programs use CBT strategies to help ease symptoms of OCD. Click below to see if CBT can help you tackle your symptoms to improve the way you feel.

How To Deal With OCD

The two most effective treatments for OCD are Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a type of CBT specifically developed to treat OCD, and medications called serotonin selective re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Although OCD can be an intense and debilitating disorder, it can be effectively treated. ERP works for around 70% of people with OCD, and medication can significantly reduce the severity of symptoms. People with OCD can also benefit significantly from psychoeducation.

Psychoeducation

Psychoeducation refers to learning about what OCD is and how it works. This kind of information is very important. Many people can feel great relief after learning that their symptoms are a sign of a mental health disorder, rather than an immoral character. Psychoeducation can therefore alleviate some of the shame people with OCD feel, especially for those who have intrusive violent or sexual thoughts. Providing education for families or carers is also helps them understand what OCD is and how they can help.

The most important pieces of information for a person with OCD are:

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

ERP helps people with OCD learn to gradually confront and overcome their fears. It involves:

Because of the distressing nature of OCD, ERP is best done with the support of a clinician with experience treating this disorder.

Medication

A type of antidepressant medication called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) can provide relief from OCD. However, the amount of improvement varies from person to person. Most people who benefit from medication usually find that the obsessions and compulsions are still there, but they are less frequent and distressing. While SSRIs help people manage the symptoms of OCD, they are not a cure, so they are most effective when used alongside ERP.

Examples of medications that have been shown to help with OCD include Fluoxetine (also called Prozac or Lovan), Sertraline (Zoloft), and Clomipramine (Anafranil). These drugs may be marketed under different names outside of Australia.

Facts about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

OCD is a disorder that has a neurobiological basis. It equally affects men, women, and children of all races, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds. In the United States, about 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children have OCD. And according to the World Health Organization, OCD is one of the top 20 causes of illness-related disability, worldwide, for individuals between 15 and 44 years of age.

What is OCD?

OCD is characterized by obsessions and compulsions that take up at least an hour a day – but usually longer – and cause significant distress.

Movies and television programs sometimes feature characters who are supposed to have OCD. Unfortunately, films and TV shows often mistake or exaggerate Obsessive Compulsive Disorder symptoms or play it for laughs. People with OCD know it’s no laughing matter.

Obsessions are persistent, uncontrollable thoughts, impulses, or images that are intrusive, unwanted and disturbing. They cause anxiety or discomfort that significantly interferes with normal life. A person who doesn’t have OCD is able to filter out recurring thoughts about germs, for example. But people with OCD who are obsessed with germs can’t stop thinking about being contaminated and may even avoid going into public places.

Individuals who have OCD feel compelled to perform repetitive actions called compulsions, or rituals, in an attempt to relieve the distress caused by the obsessions. For example, a person with an obsessive fear of intruders may check and recheck door locks repeatedly to ensure that no one can get in. Compulsions are frequently overt – something we can see. However, they may also be carried out mentally, such as mental praying or counting. And although we can’t observe them, mental rituals can be every bit as debilitating as those we can see.

Although most people with OCD realize their obsessions are irrational, they believe the only way to relieve their anxiety or discomfort is to perform compulsions. Unfortunately, any relief provided by the compulsions is only temporary and ends up reinforcing the obsession, creating a gradually-worsening cycle of OCD behavior.

Far too often, people with OCD suffer in silence, unaware that their symptoms are caused by a neurobiological problem. Like others who have illnesses such as asthma or diabetes, people with OCD can learn to manage their symptoms. The appropriate treatment produces changes in the brain by weakening old neurological pathways and strengthening new ones, allowing it to function more normally. Fortunately, research continually provides new information about finding ways to understand and treat OCD. And the prognosis for people who suffer from OCD is more hopeful than ever before.

The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) provides clinicians with official definitions of and criteria for diagnosing mental disorders.

Who is Affected by OCD?

Millions of people are affected by OCD. Current estimates are that approximately 1 in 40 adults in the U.S. (about 2.3% of the population) and 1 in 100 children have this condition.

How Can I Tell If It’s OCD?

Obsessions are persistent and uncontrollable thoughts, impulses, or images that are intrusive, unwanted and disturbing. In response to the distress created by these obsessions, people with OCD perform certain mental or physical compulsions or rituals. Even though they usually realize that their obsessions are irrational, they feel compelled to carry out these rituals. Unfortunately, relief is only temporary, and the obsessive-compulsive cycle continues. And frustration, anger, and hopelessness often result.

What OCD Isn’t

To have a good understanding of what OCD is, it’s also important to understand what OCD is NOT. “OCD” is sometimes incorrectly used as a catch-all term to describe “obsessive” behaviors.

What Causes OCD?

Current research reveals that the brains of individuals who have OCD function differently than the brains of those who do not.

What Doesn’t Cause OCD

It’s only human nature to want to know what causes an illness. OCD is often misunderstood and, while researchers are now able to see physical differences in brain function in people with OCD, it’s also important to know what DOESN’T cause this disorder.

Diagnosis

No laboratory test exists that can identify OCD. Mental health professionals frequently use diagnostic interviews to determine the presence of OCD as well as other tools that measure the severity of obsessions and compulsions, the most common of which is the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS).

Although not a substitute for a formal evaluation and diagnosis provided by a qualified mental health professional, there is a self-screening test you can take to determine if you have symptoms similar to those associated with OCD and could benefit from professional help.

What Other Conditions May Co-exist with OCD?

A number of other mental health disorders frequently occur with OCD. In fact, people with OCD much more often than not have at least one other co-existing disorder. A trained mental health professional can diagnose and provide appropriate treatment for these conditions as well as OCD. These disorders include:

Several disorders that tend to co-exist with OCD share many similarities with OCD and are listed in the same DSM-5 category as OCD: OCD and Related Disorders. These conditions should also be treated by a qualified mental health therapist:

What Kind of OCD Treatment Should I Look For?

Getting relief from OCD is possible with treatment that is available today. While there is no cure for the disorder, the most effective, evidence-based treatment for OCD is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). This treatment is recommended by nationally-recognized institutions such as the National Institutes of Mental Health, the Mayo Clinic, and Harvard Medical School.

Choosing A Therapist

Even mental health professionals with impressive credentials may lack the proper training to diagnose and treat OCD. Only a qualified cognitive behavior therapist can provide effective CBT. Before committing to treatment with any therapist, it’s critical to ask questions to help determine if he or she is competent to administer CBT for OCD.

Treatment Challenges

Getting effective treatment can help most people with OCD achieve substantial relief from their symptoms and regain significant control over their daily lives. Unfortunately, getting the appropriate treatment, sticking with a treatment plan and maintaining treatment gains can be challenging. Knowing what to expect ahead of time can make a big difference in your success.

Medication

Although the benefits of medication have not been shown to be as great as those of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, CBT in conjunction with medication is the most effective treatment for some individuals with OCD. Medications can help lower the anxiety associated with obsessions and reduce the urge to perform compulsions.