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Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is another type of anxiety disorder. As obvious from the name itself, obsessions and compulsions are essential features of OCD. Typically obsessions associated with OCD include thoughts about contamination or doubts.
But still these symptoms do not diagnose to be OCD. For clinical diagnosis
- The definition requires the presence of obsessions or compulsions that are sources of significant distress or impairment and are not due to another mental disorder.
- Then changes were made to the definition which required that the obsessions or compulsions cause marked distress, consume more than 1 hour a day, or significantly interfere with the person’s normal routine or occupational or social functioning.
- And the recent changes to the definition say that the person should recognize that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable. These obsessions are the product of their own mind.
These changes were made over a period to properly define and clinically diagnose this disorder. This is the most important part as the distinction among all the types of anxiety disorder requires clinical investigation by a competent authority.
Further going into the definition of obsessions and compulsions
- Obsessions are defined as recurrent, persistent thoughts, images, or impulses that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate.
- Compulsions are repetitive behaviors (e.g. checking locked doors or gas jets, hand washing ) or mental acts ( e.g. counting, repeating words ) that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rigid rules.
Particularly Issues involving child care and pregnancy appear to be associated with this disorder. In one study 69 percent of persons with OCD could link the onset of symptoms to child birth, pregnancy, or childcare issues. Another study found that pregnancy was associated with the onset of symptoms of OCD far more than any other life event.
Behavior therapy has been shown in numerous studies to be the most effective treatment method.