Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a disease in which a person has uncontrollable obsessions and compulsions, which causes difficulties in school or social life. Obsessive compulsive disorder is a representative brain dysfunction, and treatment includes pharmacological treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy, and non-pharmacological treatment.

What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder is a disease in which a person has obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, resulting in great pain and difficulty in social life, such as school or work. Obsessive-compulsive disorder usually affects 2-3 out of 100 people, with the male-to-female ratio being similar. It can start at any age, but it often occurs around age 10 or between late teens and early adulthood, and it tends to occur earlier in men than in women.

Causes of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Studies have shown that obsessive compulsive disorder runs in families, and genetic factors play a role in its development. It is estimated that genetic factors have a greater influence, especially if the disease develops in childhood.

Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

1) Obsession

Obsession is when certain thoughts, images, or impulses occur repeatedly and you feel like you have no control over them. I want to stop thinking about it, but it doesn't work out the way I want and it interferes with my daily life. Most patients recognize that this idea is illogical. Typically, obsessions are accompanied by intense and uncomfortable emotions such as fear, disgust, uncertainty, doubt, or a feeling that things must be done ‘just right’.

Recently, the term ‘obsessive’ is often used when one is preoccupied with a topic, idea, or person in daily life. But being obsessive doesn't mean there's something wrong with your routine. For example, even if you are obsessively obsessed with your favorite singer's song or the latest cell phone, you can still meet friends for dinner and go to work without any problems. Also, people sometimes worry about the safety of their loved ones and worry that they have made a big mistake. This is also similar to obsession, but people without OCD think about this for a while and then go back to what they were doing and do it again. You can. In other words, most people have unwanted intrusive thoughts from time to time, but obsessive compulsive disorder is different in that these intrusive thoughts occur frequently and cause extreme anxiety to the point that they interfere with daily life.

2) Compulsive behavior

Compulsions are repeated actions to reduce or eliminate the pain and anxiety caused by obsessions, or actions (and sometimes thoughts) to avoid situations that trigger obsessions. People with OCD know that this is only a temporary solution, but they resort to compulsions because they feel they have no better way to cope. For example, if anxiety increases due to obsessions about being dirty, you may wash your hands repeatedly or use sanitizer, and avoid places or situations that make you feel even the slightest bit dirty.

However, not all insistence on or repetition of a specific behavior is a compulsive behavior. People have their own habits, such as closing the door and checking the faucet before going to bed. The same activities are repeated when learning new skills. Typically, these repetitive behaviors are positive and functional. A librarian's insistence on particular details or preference for neat organization when organizing books may reflect obsessive compulsive personality traits, but this is not necessarily a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Most OCD patients cannot help but engage in compulsive behavior, they spend a lot of time performing the compulsive behavior, and if they are unable to perform the compulsive behavior, they become very distressed and anxious. It involves repeating certain behaviors not to gain pleasure, but to prevent negative consequences or to avoid and reduce anxiety and obsessions.