About 2.5 million Americans live with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental health condition characterized by recurrent, intrusive thoughts that lead to repetitive, compulsive behaviors.
The intrusive thoughts feel uncontrollable, often causing anxiety and distress. Engaging in compulsive behaviors can temporarily reduce that anxiety, but all too often, the symptoms of OCD begin interfering with your everyday life.
Treatment can help. Our clinical team at Boston Neurobehavioral Associates specializes in therapy and medication management to help you regain control, and we offer telehealth services for patients across the country.
If you’re worried that you or a loved one might be suffering from OCD, here are five common signs and what to do next.
Obsessive thoughts are one of the primary symptoms of OCD. These thoughts are recurrent and intrusive, which means you might find yourself preoccupied with your thoughts, unable to stop them, or suffering intense anxiety because of them.
Obsessive thoughts can take almost any form. A few common thoughts are a fear of germs, fear of forgetting or losing something, or thoughts on taboo topics like sex or violence. For many people with OCD, repetitive thoughts trigger compulsive behaviors in an effort to alleviate anxiety.
Repetitive behaviors, or compulsions, are actions that you feel compelled to perform, even if you don’t want to. These behaviors are usually related in some way to the obsessive thoughts you experience.
For example, a person with a fear of germs may engage in excessive hand washing or cleaning rituals. A person with a need for symmetry may spend hours arranging objects in a specific way. While these behaviors may provide temporary relief, they also become time-consuming and interfere with daily life.
A fear of contamination is a common obsession in people with OCD, and it can include a fear of getting sick or spreading germs to others. You might worry so much about germs, dirt, or other contaminants that you feel compelled to engage in excessive cleaning or hand washing rituals.
Cleaning rituals may temporarily reduce your anxiety, but it doesn’t go away completely. Fear of contamination can be so intense that it starts to interfere with your ability to engage in normal activities, like eating at restaurants, using public bathrooms, or going to work.
Another common obsession is a need for symmetry or orderliness. Disordered items or spaces may cause intense anxiety, and you might feel the overwhelming need to arrange objects in a certain way or have things lined up “perfectly.” Like other compulsions, this urge can become so intense that it interferes with your daily life.
Checking and rechecking is another common sign of OCD. This compulsion makes you double-check tasks you’ve already completed, like turning off lights or locking doors, even if you’re sure you completed them properly. The behavior can become so time-consuming that it interferes with your daily life, even causing you to be late for appointments or miss out on important events.
Left untreated, OCD has the power to severely impact your quality of life. But the good news is that it’s treatable, and you don’t have to suffer in silence.
Our team of psychiatrists and psychologists works with you to help identify your compulsive thoughts and behaviors. Then, we teach you ways to regain control over those thoughts and behaviors. In some cases, we also recommend medication to ease symptoms and help you live a full and productive life.
If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of OCD, it’s essential to seek professional help. Contact our team at Boston Neurobehavioral Associates to get started.
