Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
 

Does anyone have it or know someone with it? Is there medication for it?

How can you tell it's an actual condition and not just quirky mannerisms? Where do you draw the line?

Ohmygoodness do I know people with this!!!! It is not just quirkiness. People I have worked with who are OCD have always told me they benefit more from intensive therapy as opposed to medications. Even therapy really does not work much. Most OCD's I work with are the most severe of cases. Many are hoarders (both stuff that people would refer to as "trash" to animal hoarders) and often "end up" in treatment when they face evictions proceedings. Depression also is common in people with OCD.

I know quite a few people with it, one of them in my family. There are medications for it, usually anti-depressants (SSRIs-selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). They're pretty sure OCD is caused by an imbalance of serotonin in the brain, so that's why the anti-depressants are effective. The most common ones are Prozac, Paxil, or Celexa.

The difference between just being a bit quirky/organized/neat and being genuinely OCD is a matter of degree. OCD consists of two parts: obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are recurrent and usually unwanted thoughts that you can't get rid of. Compulsions are the acts that are done to relieve the anxiety caused by the obsession. Example: Tom obsesses about the stove being off before he leaves the house. That's his obsession. Therefore he turns it on and off 5 times every morning. That's his compulsion. The person realizes it's irrational and time consuming, but can't stop it. It's rational to make your bed every morning or vacuum 3 times a week. It's not rational to spend 30 minutes making your bed each morning or vacuuming 3 times a day. If you're going to be diagnosed, the doctor is going to ask how much time in a day these thoughts and actions take up. If it's at least an hour a day, then that's a definite sign that something is wrong.

There's also something called obsessive compulsive personality disorder. A person with this is going to be preoccupied with order, lists, and perfection; very rigid in their daily habits (absolutely has to eat breakfast at 8:30, or something like that) and somewhat of a workaholic. What differentiates this from OCD is that it's more of a lifelong pervasive thing. Some OCD people are actually somewhat sloppy in the non obsessive aspects of their life. People with OCPD are not.

I hope this helps.

Are you OCD?

-Rudey

I think the line is drawn when it starts interfering with your life.

i.e. it's a little weird to wash your hands 10 or 15 times a day and keep sanitizing lotion on your desk. But if you can't leave the house because everywhere else is too dirty.... or if your boss noticed you're not getting as much work done because you're in the bathroom scrubbing... time to check into it!

Many anti-depressants are also good for OCD. I think Prozac is one. Some people have GREAT results from medication alone; some need talk therapy; some do both; some do neither.

didn't jack nicholson do something similar to that in as good as it gets?

I think so. And he got Helen Hunt. So maybe the moral of the story here is, wash your hands as often as possible.

Thank you for posting this! A lot of people don't realize the difference in OCD & OCPD! I was diagnosed with OCPD a few years ago but it certainly isn't a bad thing. Its just the way I am!

i have an OCD (Trichotillomania, ie hair pulling) , but its not that severe, which i'm very appreicative. I have a preventative measure that keeps it under control. I usually don't display my OCD unless I'm under extreme amount of stress and that can sometimes lead me to a GAD (general anxiety disorder) but that's rare and usually happens during mid-term and finals periord (and since I'm no longer taking classes, I haven't displayed a GAD in about 2 years.)

I have a friend that was diagnosed with OCD but it isn't very severe. He goes through spurts. Sometimes it is really bad and sometimes you would never know. He has the classic washing of hands. However he takes it to the extreme and scrubs them so much that they usually bleed and then it becomes a vicious cycle because now he has to wash them because they are bleeding. Most of the time if I ask him why he is washing his hands he doesn't know. He just feels the urge to wash them because he might have touched something bad. BUT then he will go camping or some sort of outdoor activity and he won't wash his hands all day.

I lived with someone who did this. It was the first time I had ever heard of it and OCD. She had a bald spot under her hair. She was under tremendous amounts of stress. She showed her mother the bald spot and her mother told a friend who just happened to read about this condition in a magazine. It was great timing. She went to a doctor, was put on medicine, and stopped pulling her hair.

I used to wash my hands that many times per shift when I used to work in a restaurant. That can't be a bad thing.

Yes, I have mild OCD. I took Zoloft for it in High School, but it didn't work at all.

I used to be OCD about telephones. After talking on the phone I"d click on and off like 7 times exactly to make sure it was off. I had a fear that I'd leave it on one day and say something that offended the person who I just talked too. I was a Teacher's Assistant for my band director in high school and it got so band that when I'd answer the phone he'd grab it from me. Just so I wouldn't pick it up 7 more times. I still did though. :p

There was something else that I did routine like that. But I can't remember. I started on Paxil cause I made my friends nervous. And I haven't done anything like that in over two years.

I have both OCPD and GAD. If you don't like it-- don't talk to me! ;)

When I was first diagnosed with GAD (17 years old-- 9 years ago), I tried Buspar but it made me sooooooooooo sick and the doctor wanted to try Xanax but was afraid of the side effects and addiction (I had a few Xanax if need be but I never took them)! So I stuck with counseling and got through it after a few months. Then when my GAD (along with depression) came on to strong (4 years later) for just counseling they put me on Paxil and Wellbutrin....and they said the Paxil should help with my problems with OCPD (oh boy, I have one clean and organized house and office at work....and work area for the staff....oh peope just love me because I love to have things overllllllllly clean and organized!! And yes, if you are wondering I am one of those people if you move something I have a certain way, I move it right back!). I have recently been taken off all medication and feel absolutely wonderful! I can totally control my GAD and OCPD-- and the depression has been gone for a long time! I definitely recommend medication for the immediate problem, but a person should work through it with counseling or something else and eventually go off the medicine!!

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lol.

OCD and GAD often go hand in hand because the nature of OCD is often anxiety causing.

For the record-Xanax sucks, unless being productive and awake isn't your thing.

BTW: if your doctor gives you a drug and it doesn't work, tell him/her! There's always alternatives and ways to make things work. Just quitting a drug because it doesn't work won't help you. Also keep in mind that many psych drugs take a while to work (up to a month).

I haven't taken medication since I was in high school and I feel better than ever. But it doesn't always work for everyone & sometimes medication is necessary!

I had a test taking anxiety disorder. My grades aren't really affected, but I get nervous and would throw up under certain conditions. I took effexor during college, but quit it last year. I took two law school classes this summer (and finals) and did well. I even got my first ticket on the way to one final and did not freak out or cry.

This is so true! I can tell you that Paxil takes at least 4 weeks before you can notice a change!

I started exhibiting my OCD when I was 14/15 (classic starting age) and after I stopped stucking my thumb (classic "lead in") around the same time.

I'm just so scared to take and prescribed drugs for this condition and the changes that it will have on me.

But I'm also tired of wearing the hairstyle that I have (my homemade preventative measure, which has helped greatly), so I am thinking about it seriously and once I start seening a psychologist again, I want to know all the potential side effects of each drug that would possibly used in my particular serverity of my OCD because I am thinking about taking classes again.

how do you wear your hair to prevent it:?

Basically pulled back in a bun and I use hair gel (no traction -- at least for me, I dont "pull" my hair per se I twist individual strands), I've worn this hair style since 1991.

I think what she was asking is how does your hairstyle prevent your OCD.

And if you read my reply carefully you will see that I answered her question.

Pulling my hair back in a bun with hair gel, gives me no traction, so I cant twist my individual strands, therefore, I don't pull out my hair.

Like I said eariler, my OCD is not very servere unless I am under an extreme amount of stress or "not paying attention", I really havent had any huge bald spots for years. Of course after I wash and either naturally dry my hair or blow dry it and leave it like that (relieve the tention of having pulled back 24/7) I will go at it (and under stress), I could make a small bald spot....I then berate myself and gel my hair so that I wont have any traction to continue to pull/twist. So its not like I'm saying that I have stopped displaying my OCD, I've just learned how to control it a bit and found a preventative measure that doesn't involve drugs and possible side effects of said drugs.

I can produce a sizeable bald spot in about 30 minutes if left to my own devices. I have four "classic" bald spot areas, that I repeatly go to.

On the occasion that I have a function that I wear my hair down (ie weddings, etc), I will exhibit my OCD and then I go into that classic pyschological displays. I could write a book on my thinking and reactions and complusions, but that would make this reply entirely too long (longer than it is already).

So this is why I have the hair style that I do and since I really want to change my look, I will have to go to a psychologist and have very in-depth talks about drug therapy.