Living with a mental health condition can be challenging, but the proper treatment offers hope for those individuals to get help managing their symptoms. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects many areas of an individual’s life. During OCD Awareness Week, it’s important to understand whether OCD is an anxiety disorder as well as the treatment options available to someone suffering from the condition.
OCD Awareness Week
October 10-16 is designated
as OCD Awareness Week. The recognition started in 2009, as a way to share
knowledge and to reduce the stigma around OCD and other mental health
disorders. Education and awareness can make a huge difference in the lives of
those with OCD and their family and friends. The focus of the week highlights
the importance of living a value-driven life with OCD and works toward
educating the public about what it means to live with the disorder.
Affecting Millions of People
OCD is a common mental health condition
that affects millions of people. About 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children in
the US are diagnosed with the disorder. They experience both obsessions and
compulsions. An obsession is an intrusive thought or urge, usually unwanted, that
can cause distress or anxiety. A compulsion is a behavior that an individual
feels they must perform to ease their distress or anxiety. They may also
develop the compulsion as a way to attempt to suppress their obsessive thoughts.
Individuals with OCD can experience a range of obsessions and compulsions.
Generally, individuals with OCD recognize that their obsessive
thoughts and compulsive behaviors are not rational. However, they continue to
feel a strong need to follow through on them. In fact, they may spend several
hours every day focusing on these obsessions and performing compulsive rituals.
Without the proper treatment, the condition can seriously
impact an individual’s normal routine, at work and at home. Treatment gives
them hope that they can regain control and get relief from their symptoms.
OCD Is an Anxiety Disorder
The National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH)
includes OCD among the five anxiety disorders. Obsessions can cause anxiety
within the individual who is dealing with their recurrent and unwanted
thoughts. They then perform the compulsive rituals in an attempt to make the
thoughts go away, but the compulsive behavior provides only temporary relief. If
the person does not perform the rituals, the anxiety increases.
OCD Symptoms
The symptoms
of OCD can cause even more anxiety, as they interfere with the individual’s
ability to function normally each day. Symptoms of obsession include:
- A fear of germs or contamination
- The need to make sure things are symmetrical or in a perfect order
- Unwanted thoughts seen as forbidden or taboo, involving sex, religion, or harm
- Aggressive thoughts towards others or themselves.
- Ordering and arranging things in a precise manner
- Excessive cleaning and/or handwashing
- Repeatedly checking on things, such as repeatedly checking to see if the door is locked or that the oven has been turned off
- Counting compulsively.
In addition, a person with OCD typically:
- Spends at least one hour a day on their obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors
- Can't control their thoughts or behaviors, even when they are recognized as excessive
- Doesn’t get any pleasure from performing the behaviors or rituals, but may feel brief relief from the anxiety the thoughts cause
- Experiences significant problems in their daily life as a result of these thoughts or behaviors.
The symptoms can ease over time or they could get worse. An individual
with OCD may try to avoid situations that trigger their obsessions. They may
also turn to drugs or alcohol in an attempt to calm their anxiety. This can
lead to an addiction that can further damage the individual’s mental and
physical health.
Hope for Your Anxiety Disorder
Help is available at Hope by the Sea, a southern California
addiction treatment center. We offer personalized treatment for mood disorders
and addiction, as we focus on helping you begin your journey of recovery from
substance use and mental health issues. We specialize in treating you as a
whole individual, so you can embrace your recovery with as much support and
momentum as possible.
Our team continues to follow
federal, state, and local public health guidelines regarding COVID-19 to ensure
our clients' safety. Please contact
us today to learn more about our programs and services. Hope Starts Here!