Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive ideas or thoughts and compulsive (irresistible) actions (obsessions and compulsions). Obsession is a compulsive notion, a morbidly imposing notion, a delusion. Compulsion is the senseless performance of certain movements that the affected person cannot resist.
Obsessions are excessive permanent, constant, persistent impulses, thoughts, images, or ideas that creep into a person’s thinking and cause compulsive eccentric, unbridled fears, and anxiety. We also call them intrusive thoughts, compulsive thoughts etc.
Compulsions are mental acts or repetitive behaviors that are a consequence of obsessions and aim to eliminate anxiety or worry. They are believed to have a magical power. One assumes that if they are carried out, they will serve as a prevention against what he fears, such as death, illness, or misfortune.
It is common for people to have habits and often do the same things, but OCD causes people to have unwanted and persistent routines that can take up several hours of the day and can interfere with normal routines, school, work, and activities.
Common obsessions:
• Contamination (from body fluids, germs, etc.)
• Loss of control and causing harm (fear of impulsive actions, fear of accidentally hurting someone, etc.)
• Perfectionism (interest in accuracy, uniformity, etc.)
• Unwanted thoughts (sexual, immoral, etc.)
Common compulsions:
• Washing and cleaning (excessive bathing, hand washing, cleaning, etc.)
• Control (making sure without defects, physical condition of the body, etc.)
• Repetition (rereading, rewriting, repeating body movements, etc.)
• Mental compulsion (mental reassessment of previous events, arranging things until they “feel right”, etc.).

Basic types of obsessive-compulsive disorders:
Controllers
They live with a sense of responsibility for a possible danger and catastrophe that could happen and harm others. They feel the urge to repeatedly check doors, locks, switches on household appliances to prevent what could happen if they do not check that everything is in order. Sometimes they also check on the people they care about to see if something has happened to them. Controlling reduces the anxiety that arises after the appearance of a compulsive thought, but only in the short term.

Washers and cleaners
They are often concerned about possible contamination by dirt, bacilli, or viruses. They live with an almost unceasing fear of causing pollution to others or of not being able to prevent threatening pollution. The consequence of concern is a high level of anxiety and a constant need to reduce this anxiety. Most of the time it’s about washing your hands, taking a shower, or cleaning your home, but it takes hours.

Organizers and repeaters
They feel that they have to sort certain objects in a certain precise way, or they may have the need to repeat certain behaviors endlessly. Many insist that certain objects, for example, shoelaces, hair, or personal belongings, have to be perfectly equal or symmetrical. If their things are shifted, if someone touches them or just moves them slightly, it brings them tremendous anxiety. They are led to this behavior by the fear that if everything is not arranged, something very unpleasant will happen to them or their beloved people.

Intrusive Thoughts (Harm OCD)
These are intrusive thoughts of a menacing nature, the content of which is to harm other people. These fantasies almost always have sexual or abusive content. It may also come to their minds that they themselves commit some sexual or aggressive act that is disgusting and repulsive from their point of view. We call this type of obsession true obsession, since it is an obsession that is not followed by obvious compulsive behavior.

Hoarders
They collect unnecessary things and have a problem throwing away anything that other people would surely call garbage. They develop a strong relationship with the accumulated things and attribute disproportionate value to them. They are afraid that they will need something at some point in the future. Getting rid of things causes them such unpleasant tension that it is easier for them to keep them.