Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects many millions of people the world over, and can manifest itself in different ways. However, the one common theme of an OCD is that causes a pattern of thoughts and behaviours in a person, and for some, these can be utterly debilitating:
- Obsession
Unwanted thoughts, images or compelling urges that are usually intrusive and can be highly distressing, repeatedly enter the persons mind and they find it difficult to relieve themselves of them.
- Anxiety
The obsession that arises from the unwanted thoughts and/or images, cause the sufferer to feel incredibly anxious and distressed.
- Compulsion
OCD sufferers often feel compelled to repeat certain behaviors or mental acts, and this is usually as a direct result of feeling anxious and distressed about the obsession that they have.
- Temporary relief
The compulsive behaviors that the sufferer enacts provide a short-lived relief to the anxiety and distress, but the obsession quickly begins to take over again, and then it becomes a never-ending cycle.
Most people who suffer with an OCD, experience both obsessive thoughts and compulsions; it’s rare to find a person who suffers from one exclusively.
Perhaps one of the most common forms of OCD, and the most recognizable, is centred around keeping clean and washing, and can apply to both the home and the individual. Those who suffer from this type of OCD, are often caught up in a perpetual cycle of decontaminating themselves and their immediate environment. Someone who compulsively washes their hands, takes showers or baths more often than most, or who spends hours a day cleaning their home, can usually be in one of two groups:
- those who are obsessive about being harmed by germs and bacteria, or with preventing the spread of them to others via contamination
and
- those who feel uncomfortable with certain substances, but are not necessarily worried about being harmed or contaminated by them
Sufferers who fall into the first category are usually concerned about falling ill or picking up a disease from contamination by germs or bacteria, and they are often worried about being responsible for spreading the germs to others. They tend to perform washing rituals that they repeat frequently, in the hope that this will eliminate the perceived danger, such as cleaning their home and items within it, or their credit cards and mobile phone.
Those in the second category, tend to spend more of their time washing and cleaning to try and get rid of the uncomfortable feelings associated with dirt, germs and bacteria.
What to do if you are suffering from an OCD
If you re suffering from an OCD that is having a significant impact on your life, then it’s important that you seek help, and depending on the severity of the OCD, it may be advisable to see a doctor or a therapist who specialises in such disorders.
OCD’s rarely go away without intervention, so please seek help as quickly as possible, otherwise it may continue to have a negative impact upon your life.
If you are unsure whether you have an OCD or just a desire to be clean and have a hygienic home, you could try engaging the services of a professional cleaning company and have your home deep cleaned. If this relieves your symptoms, then it may simply be that you need your home cleaned more effectively and more often, and there are many reputable and affordable companies who can help you to achieve this.