Psychology
30 September 2015
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Why would someone wash their hands vigorously and extensively, or flip a light switch on or off a certain number of times when entering a room? Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder that triggers people to have unwanted fixations and repetitive actions for no noticeable reason or purpose. Everyone has their own habits and certain way of doing things, but this disease consumes the victim and can severely disrupt how someone lives their life. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, is an apparent and common occurrence in today’s society regarding the various types of the disorder and monumental or well-known people with major or minor forms of this illness.
OCD is defined as a mental illness resulting in persistent and illogical fears, obsessive thoughts, and compulsive actions. These habits are often created and followed out by the victim in order to avoid the anxiety they cause. There are several types of OCD that are all equally able to trap a person in a pattern that is challenging to overcome. For instance, the first, and perhaps most common association of OCD that people think of is the fear of contamination and germs. People who suffer from this have a constant feeling of something undesirable being on their body. It may also mean that this person makes up elaborate ideas in their head about how might be getting infected or diseased. Usually, they are never fully capable of successfully ridding themselves of the contaminant. Victims of this particular form may partake in compulsions such as excessively washing their hands, cleaning objects and surfaces, or refusing to touch others. Another common form of OCD is the need to check things multiple times, sometimes hundreds of times. The repetitive behavior can go on for hours in severe cases. The inflicted person may be late to important commitments like a job, and it may prevent them from being able to keep a job. Common...