A term often used in jest to describe someone who is particular and organised, in reality, OCD is an anxiety-related condition. Photo / 123rf
A term often used in jest to describe someone who is particular and organised, in reality, OCD is an anxiety-related condition. Photo / 123rf
Despite many people saying we are all ‘a little’ OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder is a serious condition which can have a major impact.
There’s a myth that obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is simply straightening up cans in the kitchen cupboard, or that it revolves mainly around fanatical hand-washing.
A term often used in jest to describe someone who is particular and organised, in reality, OCD is an anxiety-related condition. It manifests in repetitive behaviours and intrusive thoughts that can be debilitating.
Among many misconceptions about OCD, we take a look at what’s true and what’s not.
This could not be further from the truth, says David Veale, a consultant psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital, a visiting professor in cognitive behavioural psychotherapies at King’s College London and the co-author of Overcoming OCD.
“OCD is often misconceived as a bit of a joke but there are several different types of OCD, including feeling excessive responsibility for causing harm – for example, fear and doubt about being responsible for a fire or a road traffic accident – which can lead to frequent checking or seeking reassurance,” he explains.
“People with OCD can also become overwhelmed by unacceptable thoughts, doubts and images – for example, an irrational fear of being a paedophile or rapist or blasphemous thoughts – and a need for order, symmetry or completeness in objects.”
These symptoms are driven by fear and anxiety about the worst-case scenario that they will be responsible for causing harm in some way, says Veale.
OCD is often mistaken for being overly clean and tidy, but it includes a range of behaviours. Photo / 123rf
OCD is usually manageable and easy to overcome
Professor Barbara Sahakian, a professor of clinical neuropsychology at the University of Cambridge, says OCD can take many different forms and be debilitating to some.
“Many people with severe OCD are trapped in their house or flat for fear of being contaminated if they touch anything outside, for example on public transport, or in shops or restaurants,” Sahakian notes.
Difficulty with excessive checking can lead to some people needing to try to leave for work hours before it is necessary so that they can repeatedly check windows and doors or whether the oven is switched off, says Sahakian.
“Children at school and students at university often take much longer to complete tasks as a result of checking behaviour, which can have a detrimental impact on their day-to-day lives.”
OCD is easy to diagnose
Veale says OCD usually develops during adolescence but is often not picked up or diagnosed until much later. “It usually takes another 10 years or so after adolescence for someone with OCD to be referred to mental health services, when it has become distressing and started interfering in a person’s life,” he notes.
For example, it might have impacted someone’s ability to study or work, or had a negative impact on their friendships and relationships with their partner or family.
Sufferers may have irrational fears, such as being responsible for accidents or having inappropriate thoughts. Photo / 123rf
There is no effective treatment for OCD
Alex Sergent, the founder of TinTClub, an investment club for entrepreneurs, diagnosed himself with OCD while at university when he became so worried about forgetting things he became obsessed with writing sticky notes and kept writing the same things down on repeat.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is often prescribed as a treatment for OCD but Sergent didn’t find it effective. It was eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, a new technique which helps you process trauma through eye movement, that helped him manage it much better. He was also on anti-depressants for a time.
“I used to experience negative thoughts on a loop and spend half an hour at a time going over the same thought again and again but, through EMDR, meditation and exercise, I have learned to try to see my OCD as a positive in some ways too. I often tell people I have it to help them understand my behaviour,” he notes.
OCD is a personality quirk
Often put down to being a minor personality quirk or trait, the psychologist Dr Louise Goddard-Crawley says trivialising such a complex condition as a quirk or foible is harmful. “In fact, it is a clinically recognised mental health disorder that significantly impairs daily functioning and quality of life. It can cause significant distress and disruption in various areas of life, including work, relationships and social activities.”
It’s essential to differentiate between typical behaviours or quirks and the clinically significant symptoms of OCD, says Goddard-Crawley.
We are all ‘a little’ OCD
While it’s true that OCD may – similar to other neurodiverse conditions such as ADHD or autism – be on a spectrum, it’s not fair or reasonable to say that we are all “a little” OCD, says Veale.
“It’s very demeaning to people living with OCD to say we all have it and what that phrase actually relates to is an obsessive compulsive personality – i.e. a person who is a perfectionist, tidy, likes order, is very conscientious or, perhaps, someone who has difficulty being playful or creative,” Veale says. “But that is not OCD, which is driven by fear and anxiety.”
OCD is just something people have to live with
Sometimes known as the “secret illness”, the idea that people should just soldier on with it and not seek help for treatment is damaging, says Goddard-Crawley.
“OCD can lead to feelings of shame, embarrassment and isolation, as individuals may attempt to conceal their symptoms or avoid triggering situations. But the distress caused by OCD profoundly affects mental health and overall quality of life.”
If someone thinks they may be suffering with OCD, they should seek treatment, ask for a referral from their GP or find out more from OCD NZ.
