Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

[DeltaSigStan]

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?

[winneythepooh7]

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.

[swissmiss04]

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.

[Rudey]

Originally posted by winneythepooh7
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.

Are you OCD?

-Rudey

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

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.

[mu_agd]

Originally posted by HotDamnImAPhiMu
i.e. it's a little weird to wash your hands 10 or 15 times a day

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

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

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

[_Lisa_]

Originally posted by swissmiss04
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.

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!

[ms_gwyn]

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.)

[adpialumcsuc]

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.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Originally posted by ms_gwyn
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 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.

[Dionysus]

Originally posted by HotDamnImAPhiMu
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!

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.

[UKDaisy]

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.

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.

[ADPiAkron]

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!!

[lifesaver]

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lol.