A. We often have such a group of people around us, they are fussy about details, toothpaste must be squeezed from the bottom to the top, the color in the closet is always from light to dark, they always do not believe that they have locked the door firmly, but also will go back again and again to check the gas switch, they are not suffering from the so-called “OCD” it? “What are the other signs of OCD?
On the surface, these may be compulsive behaviors, but in addition to these superficial behaviors or actions, there are also some very important factors to consider when diagnosing OCD, and that is, do these compulsive behaviors or actions bother you? Do you feel that you do not need to do these behaviors or actions, but you cannot control them? Are these behaviors or actions significantly affecting their lives and work?
In fact, in real life, there are many seemingly compulsive behavioral actions, for example, in a highly efficient factory production line, each specific operation of the workers may be programmed, but it does not mean that these workers are all OCD, because these seemingly compulsive actions are conducive to improving efficiency.
Another example is that some people with strict personalities may put every item in the house in order so that they can find it easily. There are also housewives who may be strict about hygiene, asking their husbands to wash their socks and clean up after them every day, and although their husbands resist, they feel they should. These cannot be called “OCD”.
If we look at these behavioral actions, the examples mentioned above are compulsive behaviors within the category of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. However, in addition to the symptoms, the most important factor in determining whether a person has OCD is whether he or she has anxiety, ambivalence, or obsessions about it.
Secondly, it is important to consider whether these behaviors are affecting the individual’s school, life, and work. If those compulsive behaviors do not lead to strong emotional reactions and impaired social functioning, it may be just some specific behavioral habits or personality traits of the individual.
In addition to the presence of compulsive behaviors, patients with OCD often have a number of other symptoms, such as obsessive-compulsive ideas, obsessive-compulsive emotions, and obsessive-compulsive intentions. For example, a 30-year-old female patient, because of the fear of being infected with AIDS, fear of blood, fear of unhygienic things, later generalized to even red things are afraid, once accidentally touching red things have to repeatedly wash their hands and laundry, they also know that AIDS will not be spread through these ways, can recognize that their thoughts and behaviors are not justified, unnecessary, but can not self-control, once trying to Once you try to control yourself from washing your hands and laundry, you will become anxious and restless.
Second, although OCD is considered a symptom, it is more like a personality of a certain type of person, does this manifestation need to be corrected and treated? Why?
OCD is a separate disorder from neurosis, which is a type of mental illness. However, obsessive-compulsive symptoms can also exist in some psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Also, compulsions exist in some normal people, but these compulsions generally do not require special treatment if they do not cause a strong emotional response in the individual or lead to impaired occupational and social functioning.
There is also a condition called obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, in which compulsions appear at an early age. These people are characterized mainly by inertia, indecision, good doubt, doing things by the book, holding themselves and those around them to high standards, wanting what they do to be perfect, double-checking afterwards, thirsting for details, a strong sense of morality, too much self-restraint, often planning all the details before acting, stereotyping and stubbornness.
There is a very high correlation between obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and OCD. People with this personality tendency are more likely to develop OCD, and the percentage of people with OCD who have a pre-morbid obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is also as high as 72%. Therefore, people with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder or tendencies, it is best to also receive timely professional intervention and treatment to improve the quality of life and improve personal relationships and social functioning.
Third, tracing the root cause of OCD, is there a certain cause?
Any disease has its own pathogenic basis, and so does OCD. On the other hand, like many psychiatric disorders, the cause of OCD is not fully understood. As of the current location, OCD’s may be related to these factors.
1, genetic: related studies have found that the rate of co-morbidity between OCD patients and their parents is much higher than that of the general population, showing that OCD may have some genetic factors, but it is also possible to show the influence of environmental factors, especially the family environment, on the onset of the disease.
2, central nervous system diseases: In some central nervous system diseases such as encephalitis, epilepsy, temporal lobe injury of the brain patients will also appear obsessive-compulsive symptoms, but most patients do not have the above-mentioned diseases. And some studies have also shown that OCD patients have reduced levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine in the cerebrospinal fluid.
3, psychosocial factors: psychosocial factors have an important role in the development of OCD. The work is too intense, too strict requirements, encountered a major mental stimulation, will make people worried, anxious. If one is cautious, afraid, and worried for a long time, obsessive-compulsive symptoms will gradually develop. The manifestations of these symptoms are often strongly linked to the psychosocial factors experienced and have protective, avoidant overtones.
In the family, especially parents with obsessive-compulsive personalities have a subtle influence on the child. Improper education of children, such as overly demanding, overly stereotyped requirements for the system of life, so that they form cautious and indecisive in all matters, may cause the child to develop an obsessive-compulsive personality. For example, a mother with OCD has been very strict with her son since he was a child, demanding everything from his studies to his personal hygiene.
When the son became an adult, his personal behavior pattern was also very strong and compulsive, even after washing his socks, he had to fold them carefully and put them in a specific corner of the closet. After marriage, his wife could not stand it and asked for divorce several times.
And from a professional point of view, people who are engaged in more delicate, strict, can not make mistakes in their careers, it is also easy to generalize the behavioral habits at work to everyday life, and also easy to form obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
Fourth, can OCD cause other psychological disorders?
OCD as a neurological disorder, in addition to the typical obsessive-compulsive symptoms, there are also other neurological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, etc., especially in patients with untreated OCD often lead to depression. For example, some patients with depression, anxiety disorders, and phobias may also have obsessive-compulsive symptoms, while patients with schizophrenia often have obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and some patients with schizophrenia may be misdiagnosed as having obsessive-compulsive disorder because they mainly manifested as obsessive-compulsive disorder before the appearance of psychotic symptoms.